heroes

I used to love to read, back when my life was my own and I had tons of leisure time.  Then I went back to college for 3 years and I only had time to read textbooks.  No time to read for pleasure and I got out of the habit of reading books I enjoyed.  Two years after I graduated, I finally started to read for myself again.  Unfortunately since I am so limited on reading time (15 min in the locked bathroom, 10 min in the car waiting for a kid) I have to read books that can be picked up and put down easily.  Short chapters work the best. 

I love books that have a positive message or are inspirational.  There is a set of books I just love.  It's called Coffee with Nonna and More Coffee with Nonna by Vincent Iezzi.  They seem very simplistic; stories of this author's Italian Grandmother (Nonna in Italian).  And while that doesn't sound particularly inspiring, they are amazing.  His grandmother may not have been the most educated, but she had a worldly knowledge that came from experience.  Like Jesus, she taught lessons in stories.  I've met only a few people in my life that had the beautiful ability to weave a life lesson in what seemed like an innocent story.

 
While sometimes later in life it is realized the stories may not have necessarily been entirely factual in nature, they always had the perfect moral lesson.  There are so many that I enjoyed reading.  Stories of how the birds used to be all white, but as they helped Jesus, they earned colors.  How certain animals were selected to be there at the birth of Jesus as they represented various stages of our Savior's life.  And how the Magi were each told a special secret by an angel to share with the Infant Child when he was born.  The secrets were discovered and told to King Herod who laughed at what he thought was the silliness of them.  But it turns out they were to represent the areas that Jesus would travel to teach and ultimately die. 

But perhaps my favorite is Nonna's thoughts on heroes.  This is one I will share in more detail.  

Vinnie was young and had a rather large comic book collection.  Mind you this was during the war.  As he listened to the stories of what was going on in the war he wished his super heroes from his comics would come to the rescue and win the war.  So he proceeded to write his favorite superhero and waited in quiet anticipation for him to win the war.  Much to his disappointment nothing happened.  So one day when they were collecting paper for the war efforts, he dumped all his comic books into the heap.  His Nonna was very proud of his sacrifice but was confused when she discovered why he did it. 

She went on to explain that sometimes people are hero's in life only once.  It's not their destiny that they should always do heroic things.  Perhaps there was one moment in time that they did something self sacrificing and became a hero for someone.  Reminded me of the story of the starfish.  The little boy kept throwing them back in the water and a passerby remarked that it was a pointless waste of time and wouldn't make a difference as there were so many strewn along the beach.  The little boy proudly replies, "It made a difference to that one".

But back to Nonna's story.  She explained that each person on this Earth is charged with being a hero once in their lifetime.  And for her grandson, his generous donation of paper was his. 

I do believe that.  We can aspire to be like a hero, a priest, a saint, or beloved relative.  Oftentimes we put these people on pedestals and our standards are so high; they are unattainable.  But if we think about a hero as Nonna did, we don't have to be perfect, saving the world every day.  Even what we may deem as insignificant can be monumental to that person at that time.  We can just do something nice for someone once, and be a hero in their eyes.  

That's all God asks.  Not that we be perfect all the time.  But that we love our neighbor and help our fellow man.