When I was 4 or 5 years old, I had been playing on my front lawn when a girl who was about the same age approached me. My dad had been cutting the grass, just as he usually did every weekend in the summer. When he saw the girl, who also happened to be wearing her shoes on the wrong feet, he was a little suspicious.
My parents were pretty good friends with all of our neighbors and knew pretty much everyone on our block, including who their kids were. So he didn't hesitate to ask the girl where her parents were and why she had been by herself when he hadn't recognized her.
The girl responded with, "I don't know."
Without hesitating, my dad dialed 9-1-1, and shortly after, the police arrived. They contacted the girl's parents and thankfully she was returned to her family safe and sound.
It turned out the girl had run away from home.
I know what my dad did was so simple, but as a 5-year-old, I thought the fact that he was able to reunite the girl with her family was the coolest thing in the world. Well, other than the Elmo I couldn't go a day sleeping without, of course.
This wasn't the first time I had considered my dad to be a hero. I could sit here at my computer and go on for days about how my dad is one of the greatest people I know, but I'll settle for only being able to name a few reasons why for now.
One of the biggest reasons I consider my dad to be my hero is because of what he has taught me about ambition. Without him, I don't think I would have ever truly understood what it means to be as ambitious in my hopes and dreams as I am right now, and trust me, they're pretty big.
When I was younger, I was constantly behind the scenes at hotels. I would get to be in the kitchen where all the chefs were making the food for the banquet halls, restaurant, and room service. I would get to see the huge washing machines housekeeping would use to clean all of the linens in the hotel. I would stare in awe at my dad and the way he interacted with the people he worked with; it was like he had always known these people, and I could tell they loved having him as a boss because of his personality.
He was the main man at the hotel, and I have always been proud of him for being ambitious enough and working as hard as he did to get there, because of course, he was no big shot in the beginning.
My dad started out in college cleaning dishes at a restaurant for $3 an hour. Three. Dollars. Nowadays, I don't even think I could buy anything more than a couple packs of gum with that amount of money, let alone pay the rent for my apartment every month.
Not only that, but he had been doing the job full-time as well as being a full-time student and trying to save up for a ring, so he could propose to my mom.
My dad has always done things for other people and has always made sacrifices, not for himself, but for my mom, sister, and me. He has shown me what hard work is, as much as I have not always liked having to go shovel the snow, rake the leaves, or rewire the entire house with new electrical wire because I was the oldest sibling and did not have an older brother that could just help my dad out.
Everything I have ever done with my dad has made me his sidekick, and I am truly honored to have that title. There is no one else I'd rather make Home Depot runs with, roll out of bed to go to 7 a.m. mass every Sunday with, or help out with yard work.
My dad is the type of person who does more than just be a good dad. He constantly goes out of his way to do things for other people without expecting anything in return.
A neighbor has a hard time moving around because of his old age? My dad mows his lawn every weekend.
A family member needs their car fixed? My dad grabs a wrench.
There's a homeless man by the train station every day always asking for change? My dad greets him with a friendly "hello" and gives him some food.
He will do absolutely anything and everything for anyone, including the people he loves.
For that, he deserves to be my hero and I will forever be his sidekick.
