My Heroes

You know, alot is made about Soldiers, Policemen, Fireman, Paramedics, those types of people in jobs that are either very dangerous, protective in some way, or that save lives. These jobs have their heroic merits, don't get me wrong, but after all, they just jobs. To say that these people are my heroes would be very cliche, and also, kind of redundant. There's nothing wrong with people taking the time to thank these people for the work that they do, and I have some of each that are either close friends, and family, and I thank them myself for the jobs that they do. The reason that I am writing about this is that someone asked me who my heroes were. While I didn't have to think very hard about it to answer it, it was a very interesting question that made me reflective and think on it long after I had answered it.

My Dad: He is the epitome of what a man is in my opinion. While he is physically imposing, he has never been intimidating. He has the most generous soul and is the most giving man I have ever met. He has worked very hard his whole life, and I have never heard him complain about when life has dumped all over him. He supported his spouse's, his children, and step-children in all that we have done. I can think of many times over the course of my almost 29 years on this planet where countless people have asked him for help, and he has never let anyone down.

My Step-Dad: For many of the same reasons as my dad, but also for the fact that he has put his life on the line every day for nearly 30 years as a cop. He took responsibility for a family that wasn't even his. Bigger heart I have never seen in a person.

My Siblings: All of them are better than I am. From the business owner with 5 children, to the Fireman who runs into burning buildings, to the one that has dedicated her life to serving her God and trying to make the world a better place for all mankind. They are all people who have enriched my life, and I am thankful for their love and support.

My Significant Other: Though we don't often see eye to eye on many things, and she is a very different person than I am. She lives her life to her standards, and doesn't care what anyone else thinks. That takes more courage, in a society where all are pressured to conform, than walking into a firefight. Her independence makes her a person that I wish that I could be, without her in my life, I wouldn't be the person that I am today. She gives me the courage to go on day-to-day. I love her for that.

This is a short list, and on it I could include my Grandmothers(both of them), my mother, my step-mother. I am very blessed with a support group and a family that I strive hard to make proud of me through my actions and the way that I live my life. My family is my rock and I love each and every one of them. They are all my heroes. (oh yeah, I can't forget COL David Hackworth, the most decorated Soldier in American history, him too.)