Inspiring people

When I think of inspiring people, my mind goes in a different direction from what I think others consider to be inspiring.  Today so many people think a sports figure, a movie star, or someone with a several million dollar contract are the end all of everything life has to offer.  Some, of course, fall back on those who are in the military, some who fight fires, and some who actually enforce the law, which are true to the images of real heroes and inspiring people and certainly deserve our respect.    There is, however, one more group of inspiring heroes which are unsung, and will never be recognized and those are some very ordinary people.  When I look at a family with a less than perfect child, perhaps one who is ill, or disabled, or has Down's syndrome, I know I'm looking at the face of a real hero.  Do they think of themselves that way, as heroes?  No, of course not, they are simply loving parents who are doing the best they can for their child.  Could anyone do this?  I don't think so.  I thank God everyday that he did not deliver this challenge to my life.  Having raised two children, I know what a difficult job it is if you can keep your children in school, away from hard drugs, out of gangs, and not really mess them up too badly all by yourself.  I cannot imagine the challenges involved on a day-to-day basis to confront the problems of this last group.  Life brings with it daily tragedies that you are forced to deal with and these are bad enough.  There are things like auto accidents, burst spleens, calls from the principle, and the late night call from the hospital emergency room which are lastingly traumatic.  We deal with these incidents and when they have passed we thank God that whoever this was, was lucky to be still alive.  We are truly grateful for these moments to pass.  Does any of the members of this last group get to say, "This has passed?"  They have no passing of circumstances or end to a tragic episode.  They get up everyday and face what they must. They in fact learn to smile, and try to put their circumstances into some understandable frame of reference that makes sense to them so they can survive and thrive when someone like me hasn't got a clue how they do it.  These are my heroes.