My second grade daughter was assigned to select and present on a hero the other day at school. As she told me about the assignment, my mind went to various figures in history that might be appropriate for her task. When she shared with me her selection and her reasons behind it, I was initially taken aback with her thinking and what seemed like a simplistic criteria for what a hero was. We both have a strong respect for the heroes in our world that protect us both locally and abroad, as well as those that serve as Firefighters, EMTs, and the like. Although any of these would be deserving, she did not select one of these people, instead her criteria for what a hero was, was much more focused on the everyday. Her selection of a hero was based on being a kind and generous person; one who is willing to help those in need, to be involved in the community and to be actively involved with one’s family. As she shared with me her reasoning, I had to acknowledge that my initial reaction to the assignment was being filtered by my own “grown up” mind. After all, isn’t a hero just someone you look up to?

As I thought more about our conversation later on that evening, I came to realize that her concept of a hero was not some innocent and uninformed musing of a young child. Like many insights that come from young people, there was an undeniable truth to her thinking. Merriam Webster defines hero, in part, as “A person admired for their achievements and noble qualities.”

In my view, life is too short to not associate with people you admire or have qualities you see as noble. Personally, I am blessed to have many friends and family that I look to for guidance, not just in words but also, and perhaps more importantly, by their actions and example. Some of the greatest gifts I’ve received have been gifts that others don’t even realize they’ve given me. The example of their life, how they stand up for what they believe in: how they reach out to those in need, when others shy away. Their actions are not taken because they are looking to be someone’s hero; they are my heroes because they took action.
Consider how we would conduct ourselves if we knew that someone who looked up to us, regardless of their age, was watching us, waiting to see what we would do next; following our leadership, quietly from a distance. Would we act differently? Should we act differently? Maybe they’re watching, maybe they’re not, but at the end of the day, we ourselves can see what we’re doing, and that should be enough but for me, it helps to know that I’m her hero, because she’s mine too.