Heroes

"You are the Hero of your own story" ~Joseph Campbell

 

When I was a child, I wanted to be a Superhero.  I loved watching the Justice League cartoons.  I longed to be like Wonder Woman.  I loved seeing her swoop in flying her invisible airplane(Ha!) to save the day.  I loved how brave she was, how she was able to know just what to do in any situation, and how she seemed to overcome any obstacle.  I aspired to be like her.  I wanted to be a Hero.  But as I have lived life, I have not felt very heroic. I feel overwhelmed when faced with problems. I beat myself up over mistakes that I make.  And I often feel like a failure. 

 

We all struggle at times.  Our lives very rarely turn out like the dreams we had as a child.  Most of us give up on those dreams.  We become afraid to pursue what would make our Spirit content.  We give up on ourselves because we think we are powerless.  But that is not true.  There lives a Hero in each one of us.

 

Heroes are those who are fighting an illness, those who risk their lives in an occupation to help others, and those who just keep going when they don’t want to.  Heroes come in many shapes and sizes.  They are all around you.  And there is a hidden Hero inside of you.

The dictionary defines a Hero as this:

A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.

 

But I think a Hero is more than this definition.  A Hero is a Mom, who still does laundry when she wants to drop from exhaustion.  Or a Dad, who works an extra shift because their family has bills to pay.  A Hero is someone fighting cancer, even when they are fighting against the odds.  A Hero is someone who pushes forward, when it would be much easier to just give up.  There are many forms of Heroes in this world.

 

We all have a Hero inside of us.  We all are courageous and noble.  We all make sacrifices for those we love.  Today, I would like to acknowledge the Heroes of the world.  Those who keep trying.  Those who keep taking care of others, even when they are tired.  Those who are facing something in their life that is terrifying.  These Heroes are the ones who are truly superhumans.  And these Heroes deserve to be recognized.  Even if you do not feel very heroic, you do things that Heroes do.  You are the living definition of a true Hero.