Hero: a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

As a kid, when I was asked to describe my hero I automatically thought of the ones that wore a cap and had superpower. Then as i got older, I started to look at that word a little differently. I began to realize my hero didn’t wear a cape at all, but just everyday clothing.

A person’s hero can come in many different forms: Parents, Friends, Family, Grandparents, Husband, Wife, Military Members, Teachers, the list can go on and on. I know for me, my heros are my friends, my family, my teachers, and anyone who has helped paved my way and been there to me for support or when I needed someone the most. Most of my heroes are everyday people. They may not have superpowers or can move buildings, but they all have strengths and powers of their own. I remember when I was student teaching, I had a little girl call me her hero and it changed my world forever. I didn’t think I was doing anything spectacular, but to her it was all great. When I asked her why I was her hero, she simply said “Because you inspire me to do my best and make me want to learn”. We may never know how our actions or the way we do things may impact someone else.

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, and what you might not think to be an achievement can be the greatest thing in someone else’s eyes. I look at the children that I work with and encounter everyday at my job. Many of those children are my heroes. They have the biggest hearts and want to help each other out as much as they can. Children have a sense of strength and courage that is extremely admirable, and they have hearts as big as the world. I wish I could look at things and approach things the way they do.

To many people, including myself, when they hear the word hero they automatically think of the men and women in uniform. Whether it’s cops, firefighters or the military workers, I have to say they are my biggest heros. They go out everyday, risking their life for the safety of total strangers. They do not think twice about what they do, and they do it without a word of complaint. If it was not for those heros of the world, we would not have many of the things that we have. As a kid, I was always so proud to say my grandfather was a vet of the Korean war, and I would call him my hero with the biggest smile on my face. He was then, and still is my hero; not just because of the battle he fought while over in Korea, but because of his personal battle as well. He taught me what it means to be a fighter, what it means to never give up on yourself and what you believe in.

Take a look around, I guarantee you will be able to find heroes all around you.