Did you ever know you are my hero?
This short verse from the song Wind Beneath My Wings written by Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley in 1982 and popularized by diva singers Bette Midler and Patti LaBelle should be the life success anthem. A hero, the wind beneath someone’s wings, means that you have lived, sacrificed for the good of others, been a servant to someone, or you have given joy from a deep part of your heart. That’s success.
Knowing that you have heroes in your life and that you are or can be a hero to someone else is life POWER! Hero power is a bond. It is priceless, beyond the materialism that comes when you buy something for someone and then wash your hands, thinking that is enough. Hero power is beyond sentiment, where you randomly mouth how are you? and expect all is fine so you move on without interest. Heroes stand, listen and do.
Heroes don’t wear capes.
A real hero doesn’t wear a cape but they stand up, speak up and dress up the wounds of others. Patrick Mayer is a hero. He created the company Wheelblades to simplify snow travel for those who enjoy the sport. Though he himself is a quadriplegic and wheel-chair bound. Mayer says, “I am convinced that Wheelblades don’t just assist you but also bring you a lot of joy.”
Heroes live to bring joy. Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004), then 4-years old in 2000, simply told her family she wanted to open a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Alex manned that first stand in spite of the cancer ravaging her body, she is a hero. Now, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement for childhood cancer research. Alex lived.
Heroes often say, “I had to do something.” This world is full of people who do extraordinary things to sacrifice and care for others away from the grandiose glare of the media. Some causes need a celebrity face, but not all. Navy hero Doris “Dorie” Miller paid the ultimate sacrifice for his country. He is remembered because of his life-saving actions during the Pearl Harbor attack. A hero withstands.
You are a hero.
Someone like you, by the way you live your life, is or can be a hero. You are a hero when you wipe up a spill on the floor in a public place that might injure someone. You are a hero when you stop someone from using sexist or racist remarks that degrade other people. You are a hero when you say thank you in your own powerful way. You are a hero when you stop to help.
“Nothing liberates our greatness than the desire to help.” ~Marianne Williamson
Small acts of kindness, generosity and selflessness spring from the soul of heroes. Dr. Zimbardo, in John Quinones’ book, Heroes Among Us, believes we can all build our “heroic imagination” by imagining heroic scenarios and figuring out how you would react. Heroes react when there is a need to do something, often when no one else is looking; that’s the stuff real heroes are made of.
There are heroes among us, YOU!
Anita Jefferson is a contributing blogger for JenningsWire, a blogging community created by Annie Jennings.
