"A Hero"

A hero is a breeze that rustles the leaves on a tree. He is a fire that burns through a forest of hate. In the darkest hour, he shines through. I know someone who is my fire and my breeze that takes care of me, shining through for me and lighting my way. Throughout my life, my dad has led me the right way as my hero.

My dad is not my hero just because he is my father; He is my hero because he has devoted himself to making me a better person than he was. He went to work everyday, no matter how much he did not want to, so he can provide an education for my brother, sister, and me. All he wanted was to see his three children go to college and become independent. He would always tell my brother and me, “You guys are smarter than me!” even though we knew that was not true. When we told him otherwise, he would always bring up his childhood.

He would tell me stories of his childhood and explain how we can learn from them. When I would tell him a funny story from school, he would describe a similar time about when he experienced the same thing and what happened. We would all laugh and joke until he gets to his point. After a long sequence of stories he would tell us to go out and do something new and adventurous to learn and make the most of every day. Most of the time he just talked about what we should do to make a difference, until one day he decided to take action. That was the day he decided he would run for Pasadena City Council.

That day our lives were invited to take part in history. As we walked street by street, knocking on doors and talking to people about the elections, my dad taught me communicating skills, manners, and perseverance. During that time, he inspired me to do anything I wanted to do. Even though he tried his best to influence as many people as he could, he did not win. Because of his loss I learned the most I could have possibly learned. He taught me how to go down with a fight, the value of loyal relationships, and how to lose with honor. I took away many loving, encouraging memories from that experience because of my father.

Throughout my life, the same cycles have taken place. But I never get tired of the stories he shared so freely. They did not grow old or boring because I loved them so much and they represented my father. He was an encourager, a lover, and a pioneer for me. He was exactly that up until his last days. His love to serve was instilled in me along with many other valuable traits. My dad is my hero because he cared when everyone else didn’t have time.

Author, Daniel A. Leon