My Heroes have always been my family...
We live in a generation that seems to have lost it's way.
"Hero worship" is at a all time high with Movie Stars, Celebrities, Rock Stars, Authors, Sports Athletes and really with anyone who is famous in our society being viewed as "Heroes"
My Heroes have never been anyone from those groups.
For you see, my Heroes have always been my family.
My hero was my Dad who provided for his family against incredible odds..who when he foot was smashed at a accident at work when told they wanted to amputate it said " No, I cannot provide for my babies with only 1 foot" and refused to let them amputate his foot and went into work the next night and worked a full shift only to be told after his shift was over that he was "fired" because they did not want "a cripple working for them"
My Dad crawled to his car and kept his foot and his dignity and somehow,someway, found a way to provide for his family.
They are those Brave Men and Women who are serving in the Armed Forces who have left good jobs and wonderful families back home to fight for and defend our country and to defend our country and our freedoms with Honor and courage they few understand and those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice in doing so.
My Hero was my Mom who taught her baby boy that "God never closes one door without opening another" who taught me more about strength, dignity, courage and Love as I watched her fight cancer that took her life at 46 years of age.
Never losing her faith even when she knew the end was near.
No, my heroes are not rock stars and you will not find my Heroes on some TV show either!
My heroes are the fireman and women who run up the stairs when every one else is running down the stairs and they do not even hesitate no matter the danger they face
They are the Policeman and Women who put their lives on the line every single day to keep our cities and communities safe
They are the EMS personal, those folks in the ambulances, that save lives every single day and never complain.
They are the Nurses and the Doctors who also save lives and do so with a grace and a compassion in spite of facing overwhelming challenges at times.
They are those Brave Men and Women who are serving in the Armed Forces who have left good jobs and wonderful families back home to fight for and defend our country and to defend our country and our freedoms with Honor and courage they few understand and those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice in doing so.
They are the Step Mom or Step Dad or Foster or Adoptive parent who loves a child like their own and provide love and security when it is needed most.
They are the Grandparents who puts their retirement dreams on hold to raise a grandchild.
No, my heroes are not Movies Stars.
They are the Mom and Dads who are single parents who somehow find a way to hold their family together against overwhelming odds.
It is the Pastor who prayed for me when I could not pray for myself.
It is a Wife or Husband who loves each other unconditionally and no matter the challenge know that their LOVE will always be more than enough.
It is the school teacher whose life is dedicated solely to the purpose of impacting lives and challenging students to dream BIG dreams and that nothing is impossible.
These are the Heroes in my life and there are a Million more...
It's time we get back to the "Basics of Life" and remember who the Real Heroes in our lives are.
Acknowledging what someone has meant in your life is one of powerful and emotional things you will ever do and to be acknowledged by someone that we love is very emotional as well.
Sadly, this is not done enough and often times we just run out of time.
When you take the time to acknowledge someone it really is the best gift you could ever give someone.
What your really saying when you acknowledge someone is "You matter" and "I remember"
The sacrifices that you made...I remember...
The time you stood by my side when no one else did...I remember...
The time you believed in me when no one else did... I remember...
You'll never know how much you much I Love you and appreciate what you did for me...I remember...
I remember and I never forgot!
Life moves at such a fast pace and often times we "assume" that those matter most in our lives really know how we feel and then we simply run out of time.
There is no greater gift you can give someone that has made a difference in your life then "acknowledging" them.
Acknowledging what someone else has meant to you is one of the most powerful experiences...not only for the hero in your life but for you as well...let me give you an example.
In 1998, for Christmas, my sister, Renee, gave me a gift, a wonderful acknowledgement of what I her "Big Brother" had meant in her life.
Just a few paragraphs written from her heart, and a picture of us on a sheet of parchment paper.
She put it in a nice frame and gave it to me that year... it really did not cost much but meant the world to me.
Since then, I have received numerous cards and gifts from my Sister but I cannot tell you today what they were.
Yet today, if you come into my home office, on my wall, you will find her letter of acknowledgement to me, hanging on a wall almost ten years plus later.
It still means as much to me today as it did when it was given to me over 10 years ago.
That is the Power of Acknowledgement.
Greeting Cards get thrown away...
Gifts are soon forgotten...
But a Heartfelt acknowledgement is never forgotten and is always treasured and remembered...even years later...
Time is a vapor and we never seem to have the time or take the time to tell someone how we really feel about them and how their life has impacted ours.
Take the time today!
Make the time today!
It is high time the "Real Heroes" in our life and communities are honored!
TC and Vickie Bradley are the proud Co-Founders of A Million Heroes...a community where real, everyday people can go and honor and acknowledge the Real Hero in their lives! It is an idea whose time has come and is long overdue! http://www.AMillionHeroes.com
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