Superheroes

Who is the hero of your life?

Do you have a real-life superhero? Someone you admire and respect who has consistently been outstanding for you, your family, or your community? Perhaps there is a superhero in your family that every member relies upon for guidance, reassurance, and compassion.

Perhaps you know someone who is always thinking of and doing for others, whether the receiver is worthy or not. Maybe you knew someone like this when you were younger, but you don’t know of any superheroes now. Do you think superheroes are only for kids?

Perhaps you are that superhero.

The fact that an elder member of our family or community could be a superhero is not as far fetched as you might think.

Sure, when we were kids, I bet we all could name at least one hero with super powers in our lives … from the action figures of games and comics to the real-life heroes in law enforcement and the fire department. Certainly, our medical community has served in that role too, but probably not until later in our lives.

Today I’m bringing up the subject of superheroes because I want you to consider being one.

As elders of our community, we’re in an excellent position to represent the best of something that would help someone else. That’s an outstanding reason to be a hero now.

Being a superhero is easy.

Not all heroes have to slay the dragon or rescue the maiden. They don’t need x-ray vision or buns of steel. They don’t need to move like a speeding bullet or have super-human hearing. In fact, heroes these days don’t need to possess any magical powers. These days superheroes are very human. We can be life-changing heroes to others just by living our regular lives. Here’s how:

We can be heroes to others by setting the example rather than lecturing to others. Teaching through example is a powerful skill. We can remind others what’s important in life. We can be the calm ones in the confusion and turbulence. We can display the magical power of listening. We can express patience and steadfastness when others are floundering. These are all simple things to do to express just how powerful we are. We can shine as a hero for others when we do these things.

Heroes everywhere

It doesn’t take an identifiable cape to be seen as a superhero. It only takes our willingness to consider what you can do for someone else and what we can see in the power that others have to share. Just about every elder has had some experience that qualifies him or her for hero-dom.

What is your super power? Perhaps it’s problem solving, or giving of your time and energy to help solve someone else’s problems. Perhaps you know technology or were a teacher or a good speaker. Listening is always a valuable power that is appreciated by everyone!

Whose hero will you be?