Another Look At My Personal Heroes
In honor of my one-year blogiversary coming up next month, I thought it might be interesting (to me) to revisit some of my earlier posts. If it’s not so interesting to you, then I apologize in advance.
This one I’m not at all ashamed of and was also written on the day after President Obama was elected. I feel exactly the same about all of these people as I did a year ago and wouldn’t change a thing about this post.
November 5, 2008:
“All actual heroes are essential men, And all men possible heroes.”
— Elizabeth Barrett Browning
So, Barack Obama is our President-elect! It is amazing to be a part of history. As an Illinoisan, I feel proud. As I listened to his acceptance speech from Grant Park last night, I got chills. But being a great orator doesn’t make him a hero. This country has some very high expectations for him. Will he be our hero? Will he choke, like Chicago sports teams are prone to do, or will he drop back into the pocket and launch the game winning bomb into the end-zone? Only time will tell.
My question to you is…who are your heroes? I don’t mean which famous people do you admire. I mean, who do your personally know that is a hero to you? And why? What role(s) do they play in your life and what about them inspires you?
I have several (in no particular order)…
1. My oldest friend, Lisa. By “oldest”, I’m not referring to her age. We’ve been friends since we were 10 years old. She inspires me because she has three children under the age of five. That’s enough right there! But, that’s not all. She also helps run her hubby’s business and works another job from home. She always has time for her many friends, and makes time to take care of herself. She has a beautiful home, is very creative, a strong faith, and always has a positive attitude. She’s fun, outgoing, and is a great friend. Don’t get me wrong, she has her moments of frustration, anger and anxiety just like the rest of us. But those moments don’t define her and don’t keep her down for long. She has boundless energy and can, and does, everything she sets her mind to.
2. My other friend Lisa. She inspires me because she says exactly what is on her mind and does exactly what she wants to do. That’s not to say that she is selfish, far from it. She is a very generous and caring person and another great friend. Her own adult daughter considers her to be her hero. She’s creative and emotional, tough, but cries at Hallmark commercials. She’s a truly strong woman with a heart of gold.
3. My friend Gina. She is another strong woman with a heart of gold, and also a great friend. She got herself and kids out of a horrible abusive marriage at a time when she wasn’t sure how she was going to pay her phone bill. She successfully got her life back on track as a single mom and later remarried to a wonderful man and became a mom again. Shortly after that she was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer (http://ww5.komen.org/) and has been fighting for her life ever since. Through it all she hasn’t lost her spunky, outgoing, positive self and has also gone back to college, while still going through chemo.
4. My sister Steph. Despite our eight year age difference, we are very close friends. We sometimes say we share a brain. She inspires me because she is a risk taker. She goes with her gut and throws herself into whatever she has her mind set on. She recently made the decision to leave her successful career because she was required to put in 50+ hours per week and her daughter was suffering developmentally because of it. She has been in business for herself for a year now, working from home, and her daughter has flourished.
5. My hubby. We have had our ups and downs and there were times we weren’t sure we were going to make it. He was taken by surprise by my recent quest for change in my life and no one likes extreme change, especially when they weren’t prepared for it. But he stepped up to the plate and committed himself to change as well. He works side by side with me on improving ourselves and our marriage, and I don’t always make that easy. He’s also started his own business and recently was forced to take a stand on something he believes in and did so with confidence, courage and grace. He is my most loyal supporter and my best friend.
Without exception, my life is better because of these five wonderful people that I am lucky enough to know and love. Did you notice that four of them are Moms and that the fifth is a Dad? Maybe you are someone’s hero and don’t even know it. Who are your heroes?
Thanks for stopping by!
My first hero was my grandmother, a mother. A single mother during the Great Depression. Others heroes that I admire, but do not know up close: Mother Teresa, Ani DiFranco, Helen Keller, and Martin Luther King.
Mostly, I admire my kids. I want to be just like them
Your Grandmother must have been one tough cookie!
That was one of the comments on the original post. Lynette in fact. She said her heroes were her kids.
I do admire my boys a great deal. They are two of the most fascinating people I know. They teach me at least as much as I teach them (especially about math).
I love that you recognize the true heroes in your life are your family and friends! Yes we are surrounded by hero’s if we only open are eyes, express our gratitude and take the time to see. I am willing to bet you will also find one in your mirror.
Thank you Mark. How did you know I wasn’t feeling very heroic these days? Never mind, it’s how you roll.
i’d like to add my grandparents to my kids on my list of heroes…. my dad’s parents came here on a boat, just married, 16 and 17 years old, courageous and illiterate and poor and not knowing a word of english. they came here so their children would have a chance at an education. they raised my father and my aunt in the barrio in NYC, and both worked at least two jobs to save every penny to send their children to college. my father was in upper executive management (global) for two large international companies at the end of his career, and my aunt a successful (although completely crazy) lawyer with an office in the empire state building, and my grandparents left behind several pieces of real estate worth significant money in NY when my grandmother passed away. another generation later, i have my doctorate. i am very proud of my grandparents, and all they accomplished.
if we had today’s immigration laws back then, they would never have been allowed in….
The NB kids I raise money for are my heroes.
I’ll keep my feelings about Barry O. to myself. hehe.