Be the Hero

My childhood was complicated. We didn't have a safe or secure place to call home. At the time, I didn't realize how "different" our circumstances were, on some occasions ignorance truly IS bliss. As the decades have passed, the vast contrast of my childhood to those that surrounded me has become more evident. Often times, I am asked, "How did you do it?"

I have mulled over those exact words thousands of time in reflection and therapy, each time the picture becoming more clear. I HAD HEROES! Ordinary people that saw a gap and filled it without me even realizing. Never once did they point out the gap, they just filled it.

Because of my story I am more attuned to the ones that need heroes. You walk by them everyday. They are your children's friends that show up for dinner more often than you prefer. They hang around as you wash the dishes so they can glean a little of the wisdom and affection you pour into your family. They are often are the first to show up and the last to leave. Those are the ones.

They need a hero.