Hero

Who is your hero? What are that person's qualities that made him or her your hero?  Have you ever thought that you may be a hero to someone?  Or, have you ever thought you have made absolutely no dent in the fabric of the world? 

When I sit and ponder the very same thing about my own life, I have pondered what good I have done, what good example I have been or if my life has made any ripple at all on any other "shores" of life. Some days it even sounds presumptuous to think this way. 

Then I think of those who have gone before me, like my mom, dad and other relatives. My nephew, Mike, wrote a long paper and identified my dad as his hero. Mike had never met his grand father since dad had died before Mike was born. He had only heard what others had shared. 

My biggest hero is my aunt Janie who was a religious sister and suffered so terribly with mental and physical dimishments at the end of her life.  Sometimes she couldn't even speak. 

Courtesy of Pixabay

  The most memorable thing she "did" was smile and be kind, grateful and gracious to all who took care of her. She knew their name, she called them by name and she never complained.  There isn't a person who, when they recall my aunt, doesn't speak so highly of her.

Who is a "hero" in our eyes that we can look up to, to emulate and to have those memories help to model and guide our life? It may be someone we know, a relative or someone far removed. 

What simple little thing would make us a hero to someone else?  Smile? Never complain?  It's not the "doing" in life but the "being" in it. What small quality would each of us like to emulate?  I'm going to think of my aunt more often! She is my hero and never even knew it!