I'm writing a superhero book and there have been a lot of superhero movies out lately – Captain America was awesome! So I've got heroes on the brain. They seem to be everywhere.
When I was in junior high or high school, we had to write a paper in English class on a hero in our own lives. I chose my older sister, Bonnie. She seemed to have it all together – pretty, funny, good grades, nice friends, never in trouble. I didn't want to be her, but I wanted to be like her.
Once I got serious about writing, I wrote a lot of romances. I've always loved listening to people's stories of how they met and got married. And I love telling the story of how John and I met and the uneven road of our courtship. So naturally, all of my pretend heroes have a lot of John in them! 🙂
In the real world, I notice a lot of heroes, too. Three of my girlfriends in Sydney have a daughter, their only child so far. All three of them are different kinds of mothers, but they're all so good at it. You can tell in part because their daughters are happy, well-behaved, fun little girls.
But I also see how my friends make choices regarding their children. At the zoo, there are two things they are definitely going to do because they are Mel's daughter's favorites. Ruth is teaching her daughter two languages. Rachel explains why and how long to her daughter and tries to make her laugh when she starts getting grumpy about grocery shopping.
I've seen other parents yanking on their kids' arms, yelling at them, dragging them screaming through the store, all kinds of awful behavior. Yes, I know everyone has a day or three that they weren't the parent they wanted to be, but some people genuinely aren't good at it. So when I watch my friends, I'm impressed by how they've totally reorganized their lives to make a safe and loving space for the new little people who've joined them.
I love the concept of heroes. I love the Bible stories of great heroes, the war stories of great heroes, and people's personal stories of a heroic person who stepped into their life and helped them in a moment of crisis. The potential for good in people is extraordinary. I think sometimes people just need a little encouragement to be a better person today. I know a little encouragement goes a long way for me.
Who are the heroes in your life? Have you noticed any heroes as you go about your day? If not, start looking around. I'm sure you'll notice some.
