Everyday Heroes

Mary Sullivan

I’m sure this topic has been covered many times before, but I’d like to share a couple of things I’ve seen lately.

Across the street from my apartment building, there’s an elementary school that has a daycare attached to it. I happened to be outside one day and witnessed this scene. A police officer had parked across the street from the daycare and had been inside the school for a while, possibly to talk to a class or at an assembly. He came out of the school to get into his car to leave just as the children came out of their daycare to play outside. They all ran to the fence so they could wave to him, but then asked him what was wrong, because his flashing lights weren’t on.

This huge, muscular guy played right along, saying, “My lights aren’t on? I forgot to turn them on?”

He climbed into his patrol car and turned on his flashing lights and his siren and that ‘whoop whoop’ sound that emergency vehicles sometimes make. He pulled the car over so it was sitting right in front of the children and they all cheered. I LOVED watching this burly cop turn into a marshmallow for little kids.

On a completely unrelated topic, I learned recently that one of my daughter’s friends, who is in university working on his Ph.D., decided that he really wanted a place on campus where students could go to get super healthy food at cheap prices. He got together with two like-minded students and started a small café. All of their time is donated. This is completely a volunteer effort on their part.

My daughter’s friend bakes nine loaves of bread from scratch every week and makes incredibly healthy soups and salads. He works there three days a week and gets paid nothing for his labor. He finds joy in cooking for people.

So for $5, a student, rather than picking up junk or fast food, can go to the café and get a huge salad, a satisfying bowl of soup and a bunch of homemade bread.

I really admire these three young people who showed such initiative—who did more than just have a great idea, but actually saw it through to fruition—give of their time and labor so generously. It makes up for all of those in the news who aren’t doing so well, who are hurting those around them.

On the news tonight, there was coverage of an awards ceremony that honored pets who had saved their owners lives. They were gorgeous dogs and cats who had a strong bond with their owners, strong enough that they sensed when their owners were in distress, even while their owners slept through medical emergencies. Aren’t pets sometimes the most heroic creatures on earth?

There’s a cashier at my neighborhood grocery store who is unfailingly polite and cheerful, no matter what the customers are like. She wears glasses with bright red frames and lipstick to match and tells everyone to have a good day after she rings in their order. When I watch her I can SEE her make the choice to be pleasant. She consciously maintains her good humor.

A million years ago, I put myself through school by working as a cashier in a large grocery chain store. I know how hard it can be when you get tired, when you’re nearing the end of your day, to put up with customers who are tired and can become crabby on a dime. This woman makes everyone feel good.

These are the people (and pets) I admire, who make those around them feel good, feel cared for, who make us smile at their whimsy, their constant good will, or their generosity of spirit. Are there people in your life, or on the periphery of it, who make you feel good whenever you come into contact with them? 

I'm giving away a copy of my May release, NO ORDINARY SHERIFF, to someone who comments today.