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Essays on the Theme of Heroism
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"As of 2019, I was given an assignment to write an essay about heroes. At first, I had no idea who or what to put into this essay, but it all came together. I'm proud of this essay, but because I just started learning sophisticated punctuation my writing had lots of run-on's in it. After some revision my final copy came out- if I say so myself- PERFECT! (Okay, maybe not perfect but really good in my eyes.) My essay is generally about people who qualify to be a hero to me. They love and sacrifice until they can't; anyhow, I hope you enjoy my writing! By the way this is my first piece of writing to ever be visible to the public!!)"

A Hero's Power and Cape.

by Lexie Millard from Charlotte, North Carolina

   When I fall, they lift me up, yes, up above themselves with a selfless strength strong enough to bring someone to the most extraordinary places: places of change- where clay becomes sculptures- and places of fire to do what's right. A figure that gives off such an atmosphere of example and leadership. A figure who resists pressure, no matter the consequences. A hero isn't a caped crusader jumping across buildings to save the world, but they harbor genuine love as their power and selfless sacrifice as their cape. At least, that is what a hero is to me.

   Genuine love. True love. Unconditional love. No matter what happens, the hero still clings to this love, this supernatural, real love, this motive that might as well be the power source of their actions. When I think of this love, I think of my friend: An 18 year old actress, Macie. When we were young, we did musicals together every summer. But years later, I felt lonely and sad, and all the friends I used to have left. I changed schools and I was frightened, and I didn’t (and still don’t) make friends easily. However,  Macie dug me out of that hole, and to this day, she's still showing the same love. There are times I find myself lonely at church. Everyone- including her- has their own friend groups; however, she invites me in and I get to take part in various activities: mission trips, volunteering, writing, drawing… the point is that she isn't just friends with me to make herself feel superior, she wants to make others know they're valuable. I’m glad I have a great friend like her. I’m glad that I can look up to, celebrate, mourn, and pray with. In a similar way, me and my best friend ran in some version of cross country when we were in third grade. One horrible day, I skidded down into muddy dirt during practice after tripping on- more like falling on top of- someone. Funny to say, me and that person were racing, and I must've been really determined to win. My favorite water bottle I clutched in my hand smashed. As a result, that friend held pity though she wasn’t involved in the little incident, and she bought me a new water bottle. Her kindness- her unconditional love- melts my heart. Her love is what makes her one of my heroes. Another example of unconditional love that’s a little closer to home is my dad. First of all, he's not someone with loads of time or energy on his hands. Working day and night at the ER, saving lives every day, sucks the energy out of him, restricting his time with us. Still, every time he comes home, he hugs my mom, my sisters, and and spills out encouragement, using his last sliver of energy... for us.  This is what love does: it’s a superpower that catches others on fire to show love in return.

   That leads me to the next and final trait: selfless sacrifice. Priority #1 is others to a hero. Yes, heroes will die for us to live; however, a sacrifice is a choice made every day by all kinds of people. Heroes, though, decide to put themselves last. They take your hand and swing you to the top of the mountain- even if it means they don't get to climb. My dad comes into my head again. Yes, the one that works endlessly in the ER. There will be days when his work ends at 7pm- the hospital bustling with wailing patients- and he refuses to go home. I mean, with no energy to begin with, hungry, wanting to go home, he still chooses to stay and help the patients for two more hours. If an example is needed for sacrifice, he is a strong one of all the people I know. Furthermore, my hard-working mother of three adds to this family line of heroes. She stays home… but home is no easier than anywhere else. Three scampering kids pattering up and down the house (one being me) demanding this and that… My mom sacrifices all she has for my sisters, for me, and for my dad. My question is: how in the world does she have all the patience? As you can see, heroes take a sliver of their life, use it to cut down the bad in someone's day through kind words, and they share encouragement even if it isn't convenient for them.

   Heroes trigger fire in me to love and sacrifice. They let me acquire access to a first account of how to act. You see, heroes may not be Superman or Bruce Wayne (Batman), but they can be your everyday people: a stranger, your classmate, your neighbor, or your friend. To me, as long as they make an impact on your life, like my dad; love genuinely, like Macie; and sacrifice selflessly, like my mom; they’re heroes. ‘Hero’ may be a small word with a meaning that may pass straight over your head, but it’s really more than that. You could probably think of a hero in your life, and I bet they’re normal people. However, be a hero to someone else rather than wait around for something to happen; be the loving, sacrificial person you see as a hero, and impact someone’s life.

Page created on 3/12/2019 2:14:26 PM

Last edited 3/14/2019 11:32:25 PM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.
 

Author Info

Lexie Millard is an author (in training) and is currently writing her own stories including lots of Fan Fiction and loves to draw. She loves to do some gaming and she has two younger sisters. She hopes to become an author and illustrator, and this is the first time her stories are open to the public.