Unsung Heroes
The world is full of unsung heroes. They seem to be everywhere, on every continent. The ones that immediately come to mind here in the U.S.:
- The Policemen and Firemen who put their lives on the line to protect us daily.
- The Teachers who selflessly give of their time and talents to educate our children.
- The Military which protects our freedoms both here and abroad.
Those are the obvious ones, but there are others that come to mind that should be recognized:
- The Dads who work hard to provide for their families, and are faithful to their spouse, and still make time to go to the kid’s school and sporting events after an exhausting day at work.
- The Moms who work hard as homemakers to nurture the kids, clean the house, be the taxi driver, participate in the PTA, be a part-time nurse, be an excellent cook, and be the soul-mate of her husband. She also works outside the home in many instances to provide additional income to the family.
- The Single Dads and Moms who raise kids without the benefit of the other spouse.
- The Pastors and Clergy who give of themselves daily to serve their congregation. Being a Preacher’s kid, I know firsthand how much work they do that never gets noticed and is rarely appreciated. The smaller the church, the more the pastor has to do himself.
- The Coaches that teach our youth how to compete, and that winning and losing are both part of the game…and part of life itself.
- Nurses who tirelessly give of themselves to serve the patients and the Dr. at the same time.
- People who Volunteer. Many organizations, including most non-profits have Volunteers who give unselfishly of their time, talents, and energy to serve their fellow man.
- People who work behind the scenes that get things done and rarely are recognized for all they do to help the organization succeed (think camera men, stage crew, I.T. people).
This is not an all-inclusive list obviously. You may think of individuals you know that are unsung heroes. Next time you come across one, let them know how much you appreciate what they do. A simple act of acknowledging their contribution can make their day, and energize them to serve another day. If you really want to make their day, send them a letter letting them know how much what they do means to you. A verbal thank you will energize them for a day. A letter will help fuel them for a lifetime. Everyone wants to be affirmed that what they do matters.
Shalom!
Dan Skognes