What is a hero? A hero is defined as a person with valor, achievements, and noble qualities.* However, heroes are much more than that. Heroes are the people in our lives that give up their time, wealth, family, and even their health to help a person in need. That is what a hero means to me. Through my own experience with one particular hero, I have learned that heroes are much more than words in a dictionary. True heroes are people who give something, sometimes everything, to someone else in exchange for nothing.

I remember the trials of my own search for a hero. I searched for someone I could look up to possessing traits that I could respect over all other things. I probably encountered countless potential heroes, but I couldn't see the great things in them. Instead, I searched for someone with superhuman qualities, like an epic hero. After years of searching, I finally understood what a hero means to me. Imagine my surprise when I realized that the hero I had yearned for had been right in front of my eyes the whole time! I found my hero in my mother.

My mother isn't strong, fast, or patient. She can't fly and she doesn't save the world every day. She isn't Superman. However, my mother possesses an almost superhuman quality of creativity. My mother is intelligent, hardworking, and brave. She has a strong personality and has encouraged me through countless trials. She is always finding new exciting ways of doing things. I love my mother and I know she loves me with a steady love that will never falter. That love is the thing that encourages her to strive for what's best for me. That love is what makes her my greatest hero.

Anyone can be a hero. You don't need superhuman powers or great achievements. You just need to love yourself and others so much that you can honestly say "I meant something." If you mean something to anyone, then your life isn't a waste. Your life is a hero's life.

* Macmillan Dictionary for Students