A Story of Heroes Untold

Let me tell you a story of heroes untold.  No, it's not your typical hero story.  This one goes much deeper than that, and it's much more real, much more transparent.  You see, the heroes of which I speak are the real heroes, though they're the ones that often go unnoticed.  They're the ones that often go unseen.

Some heroes are less than five feet in height.  They're the ones born tenth in a family of ten, all by different fathers.  They're covered in scars of neglect and abuse.  At first, they're cautious.  Then, in their own time, they climb into your lap and, at the same time, your heart.  They chase your bus with tears streaming down their tiny cheeks when it's time for you to go because even in the midst of all their pain, they have not given up on love.

Some heroes slap on a smile when their world is collapsing from within.  They talk a little loud.  They laugh a little loud.  But their secret is unheard.  They tell no one their biggest fear.  They tell no one their greatest hurt.  They simply write, their paper bleeding the words of their heart, until one day the words on the paper are seen and one tiny bridge of trust is built.  They, too, have not given up on love.

Some heroes are filled with jokes.  They act out.  They throw things.  They seek all of the attention.  At first, they seem obnoxious, but really, they're just holding on to the hope that someone out there cares and maybe, just maybe, that someone can understand what it's like to lose a sibling and make the pain go away.  Day after day, week after week, they press on.  Their hearts are ripped out of their chests, but still, they have not given up on love.

Some heroes take a wrong turn and end up on the path of destruction.  They betray trust.  They cause pain.  But then, one day, they make a choice to change.  It's a choice that takes everything they've got, but still, they choose to make it.  They come out on the other end, happier and lighter.  They know they've done wrong, and they do the only thing they can do: they apologize.  It's an apology that steals every ounce of pride from them, yet for them, it's worth it because they have not given up on love.

There are many more heroes both similar to and different from those mentioned above.  The point is that people can surprise you.  Oftentimes, we look for heroes in all the wrong places when really, they're right in front of us.  Their stories just haven't yet been told, or better yet, they haven't yet been heard.  Believe it or not, a person doesn't have to look like a hero to be a hero.  In fact, some of the greatest heroes in the world (at least in my opinion) are children and young people.