WHAT IS A HERO?

The term “hero” comes from the ancient Greeks. A hero is defined as a person who is admired for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In other words, a hero is an individual who gives himself, putting others lives before his or hers for the greater good. What is a hero to you? Is it someone who you look up to or someone who has helped you in someway when you needed it? Everyone needs someone in their life that brings them up in a positive way. Heroes are people who help inspire, lift up, or encourage other people to change for the greater good. I have had many heroes throughout my life and as a little kid. Parents, friends, the local police and firefighters, fiction superheroes and many more are people that I considered to be heroes of mine. And while they all are still people who can be considered heroes, I believe the word “hero” is given to certain individuals without too much thought. As I grew up, I realized that in order to call someone a hero, they must have affected your life directly. To me “hero” is a very strong word and should be used accordingly to that person and what they have done for you. It is a title that should not be handed out without a reasoning behind it. I do not believe a hero can be someone you have never met. If this is the case, how can they be a hero to you? For example, if your hero is someone you have never met, but only have seen on social media, how do you know that person is who they say they are? If the so called “hero” is not who you perceive them to be, they could be considered a villian. This correlates to “wearing the mask.” In order for someone to be a hero of mine, I have to know that person inside and out. There can’t be any holes in our relationship and they had to have helped me sometime in my life. This is why I chose my mom as my hero. I understand that having one of my parents as a hero is cliche, but you have to understand me and where I stand on this topic. People may have their social media heroes, but in my opinion, everyone’s true heroes should be their parents. Everyone owes every ounce of success they have to their parents because those are the people that helped you in every step of the way. As I stated before, a hero is someone who puts an individual's life before theirs. I believe that my parents are the only people who will do this for me. Not too many people nowadays can say they have put someone’s life before theirs to help them in a situation where that person needed help. It sounds very selfish, but that is the world we live in. My mom reminds me that no matter what bad is in the world, there will always be good hearted people like her. Parents are one of a kind and that is why they all should be considered our heroes. I know that my mom and dad would do anything to protect their family and this is why I consider both of them to be my heroes, but for the sake of this essay, I chose my mom.

My mom is the most hard working, caring, and most supportive woman you will ever meet. My mom and I have a bond that is inseparable. My mom has always known when something was wrong without even asking me. My mom has always wanted the best life for her kids because she did not want us to live the same childhood she did. My mom didn’t have much growing up. She grew up in a family that didn’t have much money. During my mom’s childhood, her parents were divorced and she did not have much support from either of them. This is something that my mom looks back on when she thinks of my sister and I. My mom supports me and my sister in everything we do, no matter what it is. There has not been a single part of my life where my mom has not been behind me supporting me every step of the way. She guides me and makes sure I am headed in the right direction with life. My mom has taught me countless life lessons ever since I was a little boy. The one lesson she taught me as a young kid was to never give up on something you put your mind to. This is something I will never forget and will cherish throughout my entire life and pass on to my children when the time comes. Like I mentioned, my mom did not have much support from her parents. At just fifteen years old, my mom got her first job to start paying for her catholic high school education. Throughout high school, my mom worked two jobs to pay for her education. Working two jobs while balancing school, my mom was on the Honor Roll for all four years of high school. She also worked to pay for her college education because she still had no one to help her do so. She attended the University of Chicago to study finance. At this point in my mom’s life, her mother had passed away and her father was not there to support my mom. My mom was working three jobs while living out of her car and her friend’s house from time to time. My mom set her mind to achieve her goal of a four year college degree and she was not letting any adversity get between her and that goal. She graduated on the Dean’s List and went on to get a job. This goes to show that you can do anything you put your mind to, and my mom has shown me just that. I look up to her and her work ethic to achieve goals she makes for herself. Because of the example my mom portrays on my sister and I, I am never scared to take on a new challenge just because it seems hard. I am always willing to challenge myself because of my mom. I have learned from my mom that anything I put my mind to, I will achieve.

This is what I call a true hero. Someone who helps other people through adversity because they have gone through rough times themselves and know what it feels like. Everyone should have a hero because it is important to have someone who will lift you up when you are down. Having a hero ensures that this special someone will be concerned with your well being. My mom is my hero because she will always be there for me. She inspires me to give my best at everything I do, no matter what it may be. I will never back down from a challenge because I know my mother would not. No matter what age I may be, I am always going to need my mom because she is the only person who understands me and will help me in any way she can. This is why I look at my mom as a true hero. She resembles all the characteristics of a hero. Not only do I believe everyone should have a hero, but I think everyone should strive to be one as well.