In my classroom, there was always a brightly colored picture frame hanging at the front of the class. Every Monday the face in the frame changed. Monday, you see, was Hero Day.
At the start of the day I'd call the class up to sit up close on the floor, and we would sing:
"There are heroes all around, people brave and true,
Caring people who take a stand - you can be one, too!
Be a hero, brave and true, Strong and caring, through and through,
Hitch your wagon to a star, And like your heroes you'll go far!"
Then, with great ceremony, I'd reach into the Hero Box and pull out that week's photo of a real live hero. Rosa Parks. Chief Standing Bear. Helen Keller. Mahatma Gandhi.
I'd tell their story, and we'd talk about what mades this person a hero: their courage. Their vision. Their compassion. Then I'd place the photo in the frame. All week long that person was part of our days, looking out at us, reminding us of the amazing things people can do when they care enough.
They loved those lessons, and so did I.
I've been thinking back to those lessons ever since Ruth Bader Ginsberg died. You've seen the pictures, I'm sure - how within hours the steps of the Supreme Court were filled with signs, bouquets and flickering candles. Parents drove hundreds of miles to bring their daughters to pay homage to this woman who had been their hero - this small woman, tough as nails, who worked out with a trainer like a champ, who fought cancer over and over, and who dedicated her life to changing this country for the better.
For many of us, I think, her death felt like yet one more crippling blow in a year of struggle and heartbreak. When I saw the pictures of those lights flickering on the courthouse steps in her honor, I couldn't help wondering, who will be our heroes now? But as I think back to those bright faces in my classroom, singing with all the gusto of the young, I thought: it's all right. No need to despair.
Look around. The night is filled with candles. Everywhere you look there are lights flickering in the dark. All around us people are showing yet again what we are capable of when we truly care.
Artists playing from balconies. Families sewing masks to give away. Teens using 3-D printers to create equipment for medical workers. Neighbors working hard to cook meals for people who'd go hungry otherwise.
Poll workers. Nurses. Harried store clerks. Firefighters out West. Parents struggling to teach their kids at home and pay their rent. Teachers working long hours. College kids coping with disappointment and challenges. Lonely folks waiting in silent homes for life to become safe enough to come out again.
We're surrounded by heroes - and you can be one, too. Perhaps you already are.
In this dark time, we need your light. Shine, and help us find the way.
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