A Real Hero

A hero is someone we look up to. This summer my children were lucky enough to meet one of their hero's. Thanks to some wonderful people they got to sit in the lap of Albert Pujols. I have no problem deeming Albert worthy of admiration. He is not only a great athlete (MVP 2008!), but also a great christian role model. I was thrilled for my kids to have that once in a lifetime opportunity. However, my kids (and I) also have a hero of a different type. This type of hero comes from each of our small towns. They know the true meaning of sacrifice and understand the cost of our freedom. They rise to a call of duty with a strength and courage most of us wonder if we even posses. They are the brave men and women we call American Soldiers. They are the true heroes.

My cousin, Captain Christopher McLin, flies a Harrier for the Marines. He has spent the last seven months defending our freedoms in Afghanistan. Dylan is obsessed with fighter jets. He thinks Christopher is as cool as it gets. I can think of no one better for him to admire. Dylan never let one night pass when he didn't ask God to "help Christopher stay safe and fly safe." God answered his prayers. Christopher made it home to North Carolina two weeks ago and home, home earlier this week. Last night he was our guest of honor. It was so great to have him home. There weren't enough hugs to give or enough time for all the catching up there was to do.

As kids Christopher and I spent weekends together at the "log cabin". It was where I first learned to shoot a pistol. Taking target practice at the empty soda cans was great fun, maybe not all that safe, but great fun none the less. When he and my brother were old enough to hunt on their own they would take me along as the "middle woman". Since I have never taken my hunters safety course I cannot carry a gun. So, they would send me into the middle of a draw where all the stick tights and throned trees are and I would walk up the middle hoping to scare out a deer to either of their sides.
We attended high schools that competed against each other in all sports. I would always cheer for our team, my brother was playing, but I always wanted him to do well too. That is, until one track meet we had to run against each other... We were so small they had the boys and the girls run the two mile together. I beat him. It is the only time I remember wanting him to lose!
When Brett and I got married we had a candle lit wedding. The pastor that married us will still say (ten years later) "the most candles I've ever seen." We knew we needed special people for the job of candle lighters. Of course, one of them we chose was Christopher (much to his dismay, I'm sure).
Last year when I got ready to take on the biggest physical challenge of my life it was Christopher who agreed to "go the distance" with me. He had already run the marathon the year before and finished in under 4 hours. His knees are bad and he knew that doing it again would only make them worse, but he did it anyway. He ran step for step, mile for mile right along side of me. Differing from our high school days, it was he who could have left me behind at any moment, but he didn't. He stayed at my slow six hour pace, sometimes even walking, just to encourage me and get me to that finish line. He did.
In all those years of knowing each other as family we've also always been friends. I have always loved and admired him. But, as I have watched him peruse his dream of being a fighter pilot, and now serve his country, I too look at him a little differently, admire him a little more. I know he is a hero. As a parent all we can really hope for our children is that they are able to recognize the talents that God has given them and work hard at putting them to use. That they will know when the sacrifice is worth the battle and learn to stand up for what they believe in. I am thankful that my kids have a hero like that to look up to.