Mattie Stepanek

Think of a little boy, about 10, or 11 years old saying as powerful of a quote as this: “Even though the future seems far away, it is actually beginning right now.” To me, a hero doesn’t have to be a grown-up. Many ordinary hero-angels are children. A hero has courage, shows compassion, and is not afraid to express their feelings in different ways than we may be used to, such as through poetry. A strong-willed, amazing person I believe fits these traits is Mattie J.T. Stepanek.

Mattie was born with muscular dystrophy. You could look up the definition of courage from the dictionary or internet: “The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulties, danger, or pain.” While this definition may not seem so different from a mere “being brave,” it is. You may see someone doing the first definition, while the second definition can be shown in the most subtle ways. Mattie could not move without an oxygen tank. If you were to meet him, you would see a normal, kind, funny boy.

If you have heard Mattie speak, you might know his goals as a little kid. Meet Oprah Winfrey, meet Jimmy Carter, and publish his books. While most kids want to go to Disney World, not Mattie. Let’s take a look at his third goal: publish his books. Mattie published seven books, called Heartsongs. He published his first book of poetry when he was 3! He wrote his books to teach people about peace and compassion.

Mattie expressed his feelings through poetry. He showed his love of peace for the world. He read poetry in front of the president! Many people were affected by Mattie’s expressive poetry books.

I hope everyone’s heart grew a bit bigger after reading this. While plenty of people express the character traits I mentioned, Mattie’s heart is very powerful. Be sure to appreciate the beauty in life. Mattie did.