Thursday, September 8, 2011

HERO

I enjoy sports, concerts and live events in particular.

Through the years, I have collected autographs of people in sports and music.  My downstairs, since the middle 80's, has pictures, jerseys, footballs, baseballs and drawings of who I consider to be at the top of their game.

When my children were small, I tried to instill in them whom I believe to be a hero.

Sport heroes, as well as musicians and actors, are heroes in a sense because of their self dedication that they need to practice their craft, their discipline and for sight to accomplish what they set out to do.  They should be admired and supported for those reasons.

With that said, a true hero (a person, typically a man or woman, who is admired for courage or noble qualities) is around us everyday.  Your teachers, firemen, policemen, moms and dads that sacrifice every day for their families are true heroes.

I work with a lady whose son fought in Afghanistan.  He was one of the first troops sent over at the beginning of our war.  He was 21 and in heroic fashion, while in combat, he was shot in the foot.  His mom found out he was shot while at home on Mother's Day.  All she was told was that her son had been shot and more news were to follow.

The next 72+ hours were the longest of her life.

His only regret after being air lifted to a hospital in Germany for help was that he was unable to stay with his brothers in his battalion.

He is my hero.

My daughter works as an English teacher in one of the inner city high schools.  She has been teaching since she graduated college and could of taught anywhere in the state but she chose the inner city schools.  Schools where she knew it may be difficult for several reasons.  When I asked her why, she said they deserve good teachers that truly care and counted herself as one of them.

One of her students came up to me one year after a school event and told my wife and myself that it was because of my daughter that he finished school and that she had made a difference in his life.

She has gone on to touch many more lives and will continue to do so.

She is my hero.

I work with another young lady who is in her early twenties.  She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl about three years ago and she raises her all by herself.

She does not know every day how she will make it through the week or the month but she does it, one day at a time.  She loves that girl and is sacrificing every day for her and when you see them together, you know that she is going a good job.

She is my hero.

As I write this, the United States is about to celebrate the 10th anniversary of  9/11, the terrorist act that resulted in over 3,000 American lives lost in NY, PA and DC.

We celebrate the heroism of all the firemen and policemen that ran into the very buildings that people were running out of in order to help save lives.

It is what they do everyday, they are regular people who have extraordinary ideals and sacrifice their own lives for people they do not even know because of what they believe in.

They are my heroes.

Look around you, take the time to see and to appreciate the people that are in your lives.  If you see a soldier at an airport or somewhere in uniform, thank them.  If you know a fireman or a police officer and pass one, be sure to let them know you appreciate them.

Has a teacher helped mold or guide you in the past?  Drop them a line and tell them.

If you know of a co-worker, friend or family member that is working hard to make ends meet and to maintain a good family, let them know that they are doing something important.

Heroes are all around us...every single day.




If you have time click on the link below and watch a video tribute




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