One Who Shows Great Courage

I looked up the word hero in the dictionary.  There are four definitions for the word, the first and the fourth are my favorites and where my current focus lies. 

1-  a: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability

b: an illustrious warrior

c: a person admired for achievements and noble qualities

d: one who shows great courage

4-  an object of extreme admiration and devotion : IDOL

Everyone has and needs a hero in their life.  At least one, and it doesn't matter if that changes or adds to daily.  I had in mind to recognize three of my heroes, but instead will focus on two unsung heroes that impact my life every single day.  Many have followed my updates about my hero that passed away from battling cancer, and about my friend the Cap'n.  They rightfully deserve every ounce of admiration and every accolade they come across.  Both embody every definition of the word.  However, I want to focus on two others.The first is the real hero in my story, a "legendary figure of divine descent endowed with great strength and ability," my dear wife.  She is the one true heroine in this ongoing saga.  From day one she has battled countless demons, many of which can't be named especially here.  She has shown strength above and beyond that of any mere mortal.  She often jokes, when introducing our family, "Nate has four kids, me, I have five!"  The worst part is our youngest just turned five and has become very independent, now she has to constantly babysit me, and make sure I am buckled in the car.  She had to start all over.  She has also, over night taken the role as full time chauffeur, and taken more responsibility as a parent.  The undisclosed part, she has been required to show great amounts of courage and strength.  To lead a double life, in public, be full of smiles and optimism, while hiding the fear and tears of both exhaustion and the unknown.  I am speechless as to the correct words to express my admiration for her.  I question how I got so lucky to be blessed with such an illustrious warrior as an eternal companion.  She has such a strong testimony and loving relationship with our Heavenly Father, she is always reminding, through her beautiful example, to put my trust and faith in His hands.The second is someone I witness everyday, try and choose the right.  They have been "blessed," with several back to back trials, but continues to find the positive during times of hardship.  My oldest daughter is now twelve, but lives her life years ahead.  She has one of the biggest hearts I have ever seen.  Both in a loving sense also in a competitive nature.  She isn't afraid to give 100%, and is constantly looking for ways to improve herself.  She has been blessed with a very strong testimony, and has a unique ability to reach out to others.  While practicing gymnastics in October, she broke her toe.  She was required to sit out for nearly three months.  It about killed her.  The day she was cleared to train, there was nothing but smiles.  She trained and trained, trying to get back into shape and perfect her skills.  Then it happened, one week prior to her first competition of the season, she took a fall, and broke her arm.  She was devastated.  The miraculous part, she never lost faith, she began to smile, and started looking ahead.  Thank you for having such a positive attitude, and for your incredible faith, that things will work out.  There are so many heroes in my life that I try and aspire to their level everyday.  I truly believe, if we can all aspire to be just a little better each day, to be just a little more like our hero every day, the world will be an amazing place.  We should all strive to follow the example of that hero and watch the mighty changes and miracles take place.-Nate Taylor