Love; my hero

"What is a hero?" That was a common question I heard growing up in school a lot. I always loved hearing that question, because it meant I got to write a paper about a hero in my life. I remember always writing about my favorite cartoon or comic book character. If I knew my parents would have a chance to read my work, I'd write about them. I never really put much thought into the question until I got older. When I was in elementary school, I only cared about the physical features of the people I considered to be a hero. They were always strong, and most always a man. Hey, someone had to kill the bad guys...right? Today, a hero is much more than a football star to me.

So who is the current hero in my life? I'd be lying if I said I had just one hero in my life. There are plenty of people in my life that fit the criteria of being a hero to me. My parents, my friends, and my pastors are just a few. Call me a hippie, but the real hero in my life is Love. Every one of the people that I consider to be a hero are the most living people I know. To me, if you can love then you can be someones hero. I don't think a hero has to save the world or solve every problem. I just think a hero has to love you enough to be there in your life. The best hero's in my life let me fail and show up when I need help bailing myself out of the mess I just created. They support me when it's obvious I have a really bad idea. The hero's in my life encourage me to do better and lift me up when I fall. My hero's are not afraid to tell me the truth, even if it hurts us both. They are generous, humble, funny, hard-working individuals. My hero's have faith in me and faith in other people. They also have a great faith in God. My hero's are trustworthy and patient and won't ever give up on me. They are helpful, and great at listening and communicating. The list could go on.

When I take a look at what a hero is to me, Love is in the center of it all. The reason the hero's in my life have all of those qualities I just listed, is because they also have Love in their lives. Christian or not, Love should always come first. Love is the reason we are alive, and Love gives us the motivation to keep on living. Without Love, nobody would have a hero, because nobody would care enough to be someones hero. Sometimes I think our childhood hero's let us down and we give up on the idea of a hero completely. This to me is why Love is my ultimate hero. Love doesn't let people down, it only helps them to become better. After all, isn't that what a hero is supposed to do?