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By Kelly McCarty
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Hello to all my
faithful McCarty Metro family.
Not every Marine is a
hero. During field training exercises at Parris Island, South
Carolina, one drill instructor threw a pine cone among the recruits
and yelled, "Grenade!" The trainees immediately turned
away and hit the ground. "Just as I suspected," chided the
drill instructor. "Not a hero among you! Didn't anyone want to
jump on that grenade to save the others?"
A little later the instructor tossed another pine cone and yelled,
"Grenade!" This time, all the recruits but one jumped on
the "explosive." "Why are you still standing
there?" the DI demanded. "Sir," the recruit replied,
"someone had to live to tell about it."
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Not everyone is a hero. But
then, not every hero jumps on grenades, pulls terrified children from
burning buildings, or wears an impressive uniform. Do you know a hero? I
am not asking you to simply name a favorite
celebrity. There is a difference.
Do you know a hero? I think perhaps you do. Heroes, you see, can be found
in some of the most unexpected places. I knew a young mother who was
slowly dying of cancer, yet she put aside her pain long enough every day
to smile and laugh with her children. She tried hard every day to bring
sunshine into the gloomy hospital room when her family was present. And I
watched her husband fill the roles of single parent and financial
provider, and still spend every remaining moment sitting at his mate's
bedside, valiantly encouraging and offering whatever hope he could muster.
I know a talented teacher who could have worked at a far more lucrative
profession, yet was determined to stay at our high school in the hope that
she could make a difference in a difficult situation. She did it for her
students.
I've known other heroes, too.
You may have noticed - many of the world's true heroes will never be
confused with action figures. Most have never been to battle, competed
athletically nor sung in a pop band. But they have faced nearly impossible
challenges with unimaginable determination and courage. They found what it
takes to bear the unbearable, forgive the unforgivable, love the
unlovable, outlast the unendurable or defeat the undefeatable. And often
they do it for the sake of others.
Do you know a hero? Maybe one lives in your home. And perhaps one even
looks back at you from the mirror. For it is in everyday battles of the
spirit that true wars are fought and won. And it is those real-life heroes
who give the rest of us hope and remind us that anything is possible.
Do you know a hero? I think you do. If you have a chance, share with us at
the McCarty Metro a hero that you know. During this month of February, we
would like to acknowledge them at the McCarty Metro. This can be your
special Valentine greeting to the heroes in your life.
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