What is a Hero?

I feel like the word “hero” is really used far too liberally these days. Many might say that a football player that scores the game-winning touchdown or the goaltender who saves his team from a loss is a hero. What?

There certainly are many different types of heroes. When you hear this word, you might immediately think of the classic heroes of comic books and action movies today with super human powers like Superman, Batman, the Hulk, Spiderman, or Wolverine. Or maybe the first thing you think of is a soldier or war veteran, heroes of battle that have fought for their country. Maybe you even think of the prince in a fairytale who saves the princess after fighting many dragons and obstacles, afterwards carrying her away to his castle where they live happily ever after. Finally there are those that we consider the heroes of our hearts who have fought for us and have won us at last as the champion of our affections.

Dictionary.com has defined a hero as “a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength, a champion, someone who fights for a cause.” How many guys today truly fulfill this description when it comes to a girl’s heart? - one who will fight for their cause – her heart. How many guys are willing to truly fight for the girl or do they typically tend to run when things start to get difficult or more than they expected? Christopher Reeve has said that “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” I would think that this strength would be found in his love for her that keeps him going, that keeps him fighting until he has won her heart. This is the type of man that I want to give my heart to – one who has fought for me and who hasn’t let obstacles stop him or slow him down, but, on the contrary, have pushed him harder and increased his valor and his love for me. He is the one who will truly be my hero.