Who is your hero?
Pondering and answering this question for yourself is a meaningful exercise, and asking loved ones the same question can provide amazing insight…
My daughter taught me a priceless lesson when she presented this partially-completed masterpiece. I could tell right away who she had drawn (though, admittedly, her portrayal of me was generously more akin to a leggy model than the 62-inch reality!).
Dad, Mom, Big Brother…. that’s it?
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So I asked why she wasn’t in the picture with the rest of our family??
Her response:
“I was drawing a picture of my heroes.”
Of course, that made my mother heart go pitter-patter. I may have teared up a bit, and I pulled her in for a tighter hug. Another moment of motherhood joy! And with that came the desire to live up to the honor of being her hero, a re-commitment to be worthy of that accolade, to try harder and be better every day.
Later, that picture made me think even more. My sweet daughter made it clear who her heroes are. And that said a lot about her current 7-year-old state of mind, about what’s important to her and what she values. But does she have that same insight about me? Does she know who my heroes are?
Do I know who my heroes are?
What could I learn about my loved ones if I knew who was a hero in their eyes? What could they learn about me? Certainly, recognizing who we identify as heroes reveals what we value, what character traits we admire or aspire to, what attributes are important to us.
Wow, what a shortcut to a lot of valuable personal history material!
If we can ask and thoughtfully answer this question about who we choose as heroes- recognizing that answer may change at different life stages- we can gain a lot of insight about people we love. That insight will help us see the bigger picture of their character.
Perhaps we can even see them as the person they are trying to become, rather than the one they struggle daily to improve. Perhaps we’ll be motivated to improve, also.
So, think about it…. who is your hero? Why?
As you ponder and answer that question, leave a legacy for your loved ones that shows who and what is important to you. Your answers will help them aspire to greatness, too.
I’d love to hear your thoughts… please comment below. Was this useful? If so, I’d really appreciate you sharing on Facebook.
Don’t leave your tale untold…