Phil Hammond: My Hero

In the words of Hercules, “A true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the [passion] of his heart.” A hero is not a person with pride or selfishness; they are joyful and happy. They're full of leadership and not tempted by others. They are faithful to others and trustworthy. Heroes should be honored and celebrated. All heroes don't have to have superpowers or bravery -- they can be as ordinary as a random business person or as courageous as a Navy soldier. In my eyes, a hero possesses faithfulness, leadership, and most of all joyfulness: that's what makes my grandfather my hero.

One of the reasons my grandpa is my hero is because he is so faithful to God. My grandpa went through a boatload of hard times in his past, so he had to trust in God. To begin with, my grandfather had to have major pancreas surgery. He had to trust the Lord that everything would be all good. It took undying courage and faith. He was glued in that hospital like a man in jail for 10 days, and if you're doing the calculations, that is one and a half weeks. His pancreas was in such bad shape that they thought he had pancreatic cancer. With all this happening, it made him stop and think a lot more carefully, and have high amount more faith in God. Speaking of trusting in God more, my grandpa and grandma had to have a load of faith when my grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer. My grandfather prayed every night that my grandmother would get well so that she could finish the rest of her life. It was a long, long time and there was a river of crying and an abundance of praying, and sure enough, my grandmother was healed; my grandfather was so happy. Now that takes a lot of faith to go through. Finally, my grandfather showed the most faith when he lost his best friend Frank. He was very dear to my grandma and grandpa; he was their best friend. They had many good times together hanging out, until one day when the sun got in his friend's eyes. He was driving down the road early in the morning, and he was making a left-hand turn when the sun got in his eyes. It got in his eyes so badly that he ran into another car and sadly, that led to death. Those were hard times for my grandfather and he had to trust God that he had everything under control.

Another way my grandpa is a hero to me is through his powerful leadership. He is the father of seven kids and had to be in charge of a large family. When all the kids were under one roof, whatever he said went. Like if he said, “it's time for dinner.” Everyone would have to wash their hands and sit down at the table, but if they didn't, he would start yelling at them probably. He had to settle arguments and handle disobedience sternly. He was the man of the house, he was in charge of helping the house stay in one piece. Moving forward, he was the lead usher at the Billy Graham Crusade. He was in charge of all the other ushers. He played a very, very big role in The Crusade. He was in charge of a ton of men. He said it was a life-changing experience to participate in. He even got to meet Billy Graham. He said it was an astonishing moment that he would never forget. Another way my grandpa shows leadership. was when he was in the Navy during the Korean War. He was in charge of the after engine room on a destroyer. It seems like it's really cool, however, it's a pretty hard job with a big responsibility... but he was equipped for it. He really had to make sure that he didn't do something wrong or it could mess up one of their missions. My grandfather is definitely not a follower but a leader.

The final way my grandfather shows heroism is through joyfulness. My grandfather shows this in almost everything he does, but especially when we play’s golf. No matter what kind of day it is, he can always bring joy to his game. Who cares if he shanks, hooks, or even completely misses the ball? He doesn't! Either way, successful or not, he will laugh it off and continue to encourage other players with a smile. Secondly, and probably the sweetest, he loves company. He is always happy whenever we come over to have dinner. We laugh and talk about funny memories, how the day has gone, and life in general. These conversations bring joy to his heart. To continue, we used to go over there all the time to have breakfast and watch fun cartoons and, for some reason, he would act like our waiter to entertain us. Finally, he's always happy to see me and my siblings get along. For example, whenever my sister and I are on the trampoline, he has a smile on his face as big as the moon. My grandfather’s happiness pushes me to make myself more joyful.

Everyone has the potential to be a hero. All heroes have a positive impact on other people's lives and inspire them. A hero doesn't have to be a super hero like Iron man or Thor. Being a hero is not so much about who you are but how you act. My grandfather is a real inspiration to me and many others. He is bold in his faith, committed in leadership, and full of  joy. I have always looked up to him my whole life. He is my hero.