Our Unsung Heroes

When we think of hero’s we think of our 5th Grade Teacher, we think of our High School Principal, we think of a counselor or a Police Officer. We even think of our Parents. Our Father the retired Marine Corps Staff Sergeant, our Grandparents, our mothers with their endless sacrifices. Pastors, Priests, Coaches, older siblings, younger siblings, Fireman, Doctors, Nurses all of which make noble contributions to our everyday lives. More often than not, they go unrecognized. Which is tragic but par for the course. These individuals are in the public eye. They are scrutinized and held accountable for actions any less than a stride towards heroic. That’s not to say that they don’t deserve recognition. Because they most certainly, do. They should be honored every single day for their dedication to the betterment of others. And their efforts are noble. But there are unsung heroes in our midst every day. Those who are not being openly scrutinized; individuals who are heroic merely because it is their nature. The kind hearts and gentle souls. The givers. The ones who exhibit heroic behavior every single day, merely because it is who they are. Those are the hero’s that are not recognized.

These heroes live next door, upstairs, down the street, in a one-bedroom apartment downtown. They’re no one of extraordinary stature in the community. They’re just ordinary people who are just innately good. These heroes get up in the morning and go grocery shopping for the elderly neighbor down the hall, take in the foster kids they have trouble putting into placement because no one wants the 13-year-old with behavioral issues. These are the people who go and pick up someone else’s prescriptions at the pharmacy or drive them to the doctor every Thursday just because they live next door, and they aren’t the least bit put out by it. They feed the stray animals in the neighborhood and build shelters for them in the winter. These individuals pick up, shop, drive around, help clean, make meals, volunteer at the soup kitchen and food pantries in their free time. They openly advocate and defend the less fortunate members of the community. They’ll spend hours in your kitchen just listening to you rant on about the son who never visits or the Doctor that just won’t listen. They’ll come at any time of day, whenever they are requested or needed. They’ll help the elderly lady in line put her groceries on the belt or help her scan her order. They’ll be the friend that shows up because they know no one else will. These individuals are deserving of recognition. They aren’t in a position where their livelihood depends on their contributions. They merely do this, day in and day out because it is in their nature to help others, and cannot bear to see another human being without love and support or any living creature suffer hardships.

Have you ever stood behind one of those community hero’s that never has an unkind word? Only positivity and a smile to brighten someone’s day. Never an unkind gesture. They are pleasant and upbeat. So, positive that they influence the very spaces they inhabit. Their positivity is infectious. They strive to be kind despite the cruelty that runs rampant in our society. These individuals are rare but not so rare that if you stopped to take in your surroundings, you wouldn’t recognize them more often.

They more than likely will not even hazard to guess that this letter is intended for them. They are so acutely unaware that their actions and selflessness are rare and extraordinary. They might not recognize it because they don’t think of themselves in that fashion. Their hearts are so kind and positive they will not think of themselves when reading this. Instead, they will think of someone else. Someone they feel is kind and worthy. It would be only natural since with selflessness comes humility.

Of course, as a society, we should all look to give praise to our public servants, our educators, and the influences in our life. Those who made it a mission to be such an influence. We should also take the time to recognize those in our lives and our communities that do it merely because it is right. They do it because they feel it's their place in the world. To give. These unsung heroes are walking around us every day. They pass us on the street, stand next to us in line, and work beside us. I think it is overdue that we extend our gratitude to those who do simply because it is who they are. I think it is overdue that we tell them Thank you. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to treat others as worthy of love and attention. Thank you for being the kind of person we should all aspire to be. Maybe if we recognized them more often and more publicly, we could inspire ourselves and others to adopt a more positive and selfless nature. Wouldn’t that be something?