Everyday heroes

We’re surrounded by the fantasy world of superheroes. Each summer there’s a new blockbuster movie telling the tale of greater-than-average people getting into a whole bunch of trouble and then coming together to overcome their challenges to save the day.

I love a bit of superhero drama. It’s escapism at its finest, and the stories we love boil down to friendship, winning against the odds and learning to believe that they are more than the sum of their parts.

Everyday heroes

But lately I’ve been noticing superheroes all around me. Real-life ones, who don’t wear skin tight outfits and hide their identities from the world. Normal, everyday people who wake up each morning to watch the sun come up with a smile on their face and a deep sense of gratitude for all their blessings in life.

These people are normal, whatever that means. Some have jobs, some don’t. A few of them have children and many of them don’t. The one thing that they all have in common is the hope they share, probably without even realising it. Through sharing their stories, they help others to realise that they are not alone, and that challenges can be won-over.

The masks they wear

The masks these people wear are  not to hide their identities, but to help them fight their own personal nemesis. A smile and laugh are a great defence against depression and anxiety. Sometimes the phrase ‘fake it until you make it,’ can be applied to helping battle a variety of health challenges, including chronic pain and depression.

I’ve met people who have so many identities that they amaze me. I’m talking about the working mums who are raising amazingly independent children, while they are pushing forward in their careers. The people who push themselves physically to understand that there are no such things as limits, only limited perspectives.

With great power comes great responsibility

Many people wake up each day and face an array of challenges before they even get out of bed. But they push on, they use their superpowers to fight the hardest battles of all – to beat cancer, to come back from a stroke, to manage fibromyalgia or to bring light to the darkest of moods. These people are the true superheroes out there and are an inspiration to many.

Thank you to all of you for being you and for never giving up!