Most of us have our heroes in life, and I’m fortunate to have more than a few.
My heroes are abundant.  Heroes have appeared throughout my life in all shapes, sizes, colors and genders.  They’ve taken on the bullies, the misfortunes, the embarrassments and the accidents I’ve suffered with grace, with strength and with compassion.  They’ve offered kind words when least expected or a laugh when needed.  They’ve been strangers or best friends, and I’m not including parents, spouses or children here—this time. They are uncles and aunts, cousins, boyfriends and girlfriends, brothers and sisters, in-laws and outlaws from all walks of life. Although, unlike Willie Nelson, mine are not always cowboys, well except one.
They should know who they are, but most of them probably don’t.  Heroes don’t normally think of themselves much.  They think of others, and they do for others.  Here are some examples, in no particular order:

• A big brother who scooped me up after I’d fallen in the street while skipping rope, skinning both knees and hands, and he carried me all the way home.
• A sister who half carried and half dragged me home with a bee sting in the bottom of my foot. The same sister who showed me the ropes.
• A best friend who brought me and another girl together to “kiss and make up,” thereby ending the torture I’d suffered for most of the junior high year at the hands of opportunistic bullies. (Yes, mean girls are real, very real.)
• A cousin who gave me her heart as I gave her mine, exchanging long letters across the miles that helped us both get through our teenage angst.
• A big brother who brought all the neighborhood kids together to have a ballgame at the local park, serving as coach, umpire and pitcher for both sides.
• Uncles and aunts who not only opened their homes to me numerous times, but who also welcomed friends I dragged with me to family events.
• A little brother who defended my honor in the face of gossips after a bad break-up. The same little brother who asked several times over the years, “You want me to go over there and beat him up?”  Of course, he knew I’d say no, but he was ready.
• A grandfather who packaged my ID bracelet in a cigar tube and mailed it to me when I left it behind, yet who never received my thank you letter.
• An uncle who proudly proclaimed, “It’s noon somewhere!” when we sheepishly grabbed for a cold beer one morning while on vacation.
• An ex-mother-in-law who hugged me and smiled with her tilted head and just laughed, “This sucks!” as she found me struggling to say how I felt about her fight with ALS.
• A neighbor (the cowboy) who answered the call when our daughter had an accident while we were out of town, helping secure a tow truck and keeping her calm until her dad could arrive.
• A talented surgeon who corrected my malformed upper jaw and gave me a face I could live with, yet who was so tortured he drank himself to death years later.
• A friend who showed me the meaning of a “real” hug between girlfriends—one where you can feel each other’s heartbeat.
• A stranger on a plane who offered a smile of understanding to me and my squirming 18-month old as we waited endlessly for takeoff.

This list is by no means exhaustive.  Every day my list gets longer, as I realize how many others touch my life in positive ways.
Our heroes can be our mentors, our guardian angels, our fellow travelers or our fellow line mates at the grocery.  Some give us quality time and others give us that important glimpse of the goodness of humanity; those who pass us throughout our lives and touch us in just a moment, with a penny offered at the checkout counter when needed or a warm smile as you nervously walk through an office door the first time.
But who has stopped me to have me write this day are my most important heroes.  They are those who have lived long, fulfilling lives and who have shepherded families through the good and evil surrounding us.  They are patriarchs and matriarchs who’ve left an imprint on us all with their strength, faith and especially their love.
I have several friends and family members who are now facing or are in the throes of the farewell moments with a beloved parent. This day they’ve given me the inspiration to toast our most important heroes. It’s time to reflect on their stories and accept their gifts of love and history as our own.  Even though these folks may soon say goodbye to us, they will live on because they are heroes.  These members of the greatest generation are moving on, but in leaving us behind they are leaving the world a better place, as we, in turn, share the true fruits of their labors—their optimism, their hearts for service and their strength in the face of adversity.
And to those such heroes who just may read this piece, I salute you and thank you for sharing your lives with me. (You know who you are.)  You’ve given me pause to reflect on what it takes to be a hero.  I don’t feel worthy, yet I’ll try to emulate your courage, your hopefulness, your spirit and your integrity.  I promise to try to be a hero to others, as you’ve been to me and to your families.  And when we meet again, we can join in the parade—the one where everyone is a participant and the curbs are empty, as all heroes go to heaven, and all in heaven are heroes.
Peace.