What is a Hero?

We all have heroes. Or, maybe that should read - we all should have heroes.

But, is the definition of a hero universal? Do we all consider things from the same viewpoint?

That answer, of course, is no.

There are national heroes, of course. The ones who are put on a national stage by design or by circumstance; the soldiers, the police officers, the astronauts... they are the ones who receive the accolades and the attention of an entire nation. That attention is justified and it's a good thing.

But... there is another kind of hero, the kind that doesn't get noticed by anyone, sometimes not even by the very people who should notice.

These are the every day heroes.

The father or mother who get up and go to work every day because they have a family to take care of.

The next door neighbor who notices something that is lacking or needed and provides it without asking for anything in return.

The person who donates time from their all ready too hectic day to help others - volunteers of all shapes and sizes.

The every day hero is the person who, if only for a moment, takes the time to think not only of themselves, but of others. They hold doors open, they offer a helping hand, they try in some small way to make a small difference in someone else's day.

These are the heroes we need to see.

Thees are the heroes we need to be.