My Everyday Hero

What makes a person a hero? Wearing a cape and saving the town from harm? Is it having a medal dangling around your neck and having your name remembered? Is it having ed for something great? When we hear the word “hero”, we often tend to think of Batman or Hercules. But what about the real heroes? The heroes who go unawarded? These people, the everyday heroes, are the ones who deserve the real credit. And my everyday hero is my mother.

In elementary school, when we are asked to write about who we love the most or what we’re most thankful for, it is often times our mothers. And why shouldn’t it be? Mothers are the true heroes of the world. From the time we take our first breath to the time we are handed our diplomas their lives are focused on giving us the best that they can offer. And my mother is no exception. Being a single parent with two young daughters was not an easy task, but I can not remember a time in my life when she was not trying her best to give me the things that would shape me into the person I strive to be today. If I wanted to go on that expensive field trip to New York, she’d work extra hours to make sure I had enough money to go. If my sister wanted that new video game, my mom would be standing in line at midnight just to make sure she got the “deluxe pack”. This might make us sound spoiled but that is not the case, she does these things because she wants to, not because she feels an obligation to. 

And then there is her listening; I have never known someone who listens the way my mother does. From the time we were little kids she made sure we knew that we knew we could come to her about anything, even the bad things. And yes, there have been bad things. But through it all she listens calmly and gives us her opinion on how to handle every situation. I trust her the way some girls trust their best friends, and know that our honesty and openness with each other has made our relationship stronger. 

And lastly, her kindness. My mother lives by the saying “treat others the way you want to be treated”. She is always looking for a way to help other people, even if she is not fond of that person. Her pleases are always followed with a thank-you, and she is always saying “I’m sorry”, even if there is nothing to apologize for. Her bright personality and positivity is sometimes found to be an annoying trait by others, but most people accept her kindness and appreciate it. 

Mothers are the real heroes. They are the ones who dedicate their lives to making sure our lives are full of everything we need to be happy and successful. They may never save a town from The Joker or slice Medusa’s head off, but they’re heroes in their own way. A way that lives on generation to generation. Everyday, I am thankful for my hero. Make sure to be thankful for yours.