I want to make sure that my boys understand what a hero is. If you ask a young boy who his hero is, you most likely will get an array of answers. He might say his mom or dad, but there is a great chance you are going to hear about his favorite Marvel or DC superhero. As I was typing that last sentence, my seven-year-old walked up to me so I decided to put this to the test. I asked, “Zane, who is your hero?” He pointed straight up and said, “God.” I was a little nervous as I really had no idea what he was going to say. I gave him a high five and he walked away. I believe if I asked that same question to adults, the answers would be just as broad.
So…What Is a Hero?
I think this question is left open for debate. I believe it is personal. The word hero may mean different things to each of us. There may not be an exact correct answer to this question. We all have unique experiences in life and have come across people who have made personal sacrifices for our individual well-being. This could be a mom, finding out she is pregnant, and deciding to alter her life ambitions to now create a safe home and world for her baby. It may be a grandpa who filled in for an absent father in a young boy’s life. It might be a teacher who could have made more money in another profession but instead chose to be a consistent source of stability, structure, and wisdom for her students. First responders, service men and women, coaches, pastors, etc. The list could go on and on. The bottom line is that a hero is someone who has, by their own choice and at a great personal expense, has either saved the life or positively altered the life of someone else.
I have people in my life that are heroes. They have greatly given of themselves to sacrificially make my life better. I also have heroes whom I have never met. Anyone who has willingly made a choice to serve our great country is a hero to me. They committed to possibly lay down their life so that I may live with the freedoms that America offers. Other heroes of mine are men and women who I have heard or read stories about their bravery to save the lives of others. Even though I never personally knew these people, I decided to honor them by allowing their lives to continually live in my heart and memory. I tell their stories to my sons as examples of what it means to be a hero.
Like a lot of you, every year around 9/11, I take the time to remember the innocent people whose lives were tragically lost. I believe I owe it to them and their families to take time during this season every year to learn some of their stories. One of the most moving experiences in my life was visiting the 9/11 Memorial and Museum with my wife. I remember coming home and for many days remaining in a very somber state of mind as there was so much to process. I remember being reprimanded for taking a picture of Todd Beamer’s photo. Being so wrapped up in the moment, I guess I either missed or ignored the instructions to not take pictures in that specific site.
I have chosen a couple of men from that historic event to memorialize as heroes and retell their stories over and over to my sons. One is Todd Beamer. He along with other passengers on Flight 93, heroically decided to overtake the hijackers and bring down the plane before it reached its planned point of attack. This was a decision that they knew would cost them their lives. They bravely and sacrificially took matters into their own hands to save the lives of others. Only God knows the number of lives that they saved. The other man whose story will forever be engrained in my memory is that of a civilian, Welles Crowther. He, with his signature red bandana, was above the crash site in the second tower. He found an unknown stairwell that provided a path from the top floors to reach the bottom. Once he realized this, he found as many people as he could and led them to safety. He then went back and led more. He made multiple trips when he could have easily escaped. He made an instant decision that strangers’ lives were more valuable than his own. His body was found next to firefighters on the bottom floor. According to witness accounts, he along with some firefighters were on their way up again to rescue more when the tower came down. What an unbelievable story! That is a HERO! Thankfully for his family and the rest of us, the people he saved have given the detailed account of his brave actions.
As I teach my boys what it means to be a man and hopefully encourage other men to step up as fathers for their sons, it is important to tell the stories of other great men. We can learn so much from the lives of good and brave men who have shown us the way. There are so many great qualities that we need to teach our sons about becoming a man. On this day, September 11, heroism and bravery seem to be at the forefront of my mind. Bravery has nothing to do with machismo. It is about having a core value of being “others-centered.” It is about valuing the lives of your fellow man and deciding and acting on the betterment of others around you.
I am grateful that I can mention with honor and respect the names of two heroes from 9/11. There are countless names that I did not mention. There are so many other stories of brave men and women who risked their lives to save others that day, or worked saving lives many days and weeks thereafter. Let us always remember their lives and their stories.
Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13
It is easy to think that heroes are made in a big moment. But I believe that people who act with bravery without a second’s notice are people who have already pre-decided that they were going to live with truth that Jesus taught us. These people have instilled this others-centered foundation long before. Don’t wait for the big moment to find out who you are. Start today to decide who you are and how you value others. Teach your sons the same. Grow them with this same core foundation. Hopefully you or your sons will never have to physically lay down your life, but we all should metaphorically lay down our lives for others on a daily basis. Life is so much more joyful and rewarding this way.
May God bless all those who have lost loved ones due to the events on September 11, 2001, and God bless America.
