Where’s Your Hero?
July 18th, 2007 by Richard CockrumOne of the things I do as a services coordinator is get aides to help people who, for one reason or another, are unable to bathe unassisted or do normal things you and I take for granted like vacuuming or shopping. Most of my clients are in their 70s or 80s. Most of the aides are in their 20s - 40s. But some are older. I know of two that are in their 70s. These ladies are two of my heroes.
Since I’ve known one of these women she has developed cancer, had it treated, and returned back to work. A few months ago she fell, breaking one arm. Today I found out she has returned back to work. When I saw her I told her I was glad to see her back. What am I going to do? she asked. Sit at home waiting to die? I want to be like her when I grow up.
The other is one of the most pleasant people you’ll ever meet. Her smile lights up the room when she comes in. She never complains. She works hard. She does her best to see that her clients get the assistance they need. I want to be like her when I grow up.
If you look, heroes are all around you. They don’t live in the history books or on the front pages of the newspapers. They are seen in the caring for their neighbor that makes the world able to function, and the willingness to do what needs to be done in order to get from one day to the next.
If you think about it, we all start life as heroes. From a helpless blob of protoplasm requiring help for the least task of staying alive, we learn to walk, to speak, to communicate, to create. At times we fall. At times we fail. We give and receive pain. But then we get back up, smile, and learn to walk another step.
Many of us, somewhere along the line, do end up sitting at home waiting to die. But inside us that hero still lives, that hero that said I can. I will.
Where’s your hero? Is he sleeping? Or does she awake when you open your eyes in the morning and say I can. I will.
He’s still in there. You can wake him up.
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