The hero and heroine of THISTLE DEW are character blends of many people that I admire and consider heroes. My heroes are strong in the sense that they move forward despite obstacles that life throws at them. You might recognize some of my characters in these real life heroes.
My brother Scott, a diabetic since the age of 16, has worked hard, played hard and been an outstanding Dad and now Grandpa. Even after this summer, when he was in the ICU for a week and then air lifted to a bigger hospital, he came back as feisty as ever.
My brother Doug has been a hero since her went into a burning house at Christmas to find a poor mans wallet containing all the money he had in the world. He became a fireman, an EMT and now retired, he cares for my brother Scott.
My grandson Luke is a hero too. Born with serious birth defects, surgery at Washington DC Children's Hospital at age 1 day old and has had about 6 surgeries since, (Luke learned to walk in a body cast). Today he is a healthy active 10 year old.
These are only three of my real life heroes. I have more to share at a later date.
BUT...until then...who are your real life heroes?
About Me
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- ALee Drake
- My first published romance, Thistle Dew, was inspired by the daily subtle signs my Bestemor(grandma) sends to me to reassure me that she is still present in my life. The comfort her spiritual presence offers me encouraged me to share with others the idea to become aware of little occurances that may very well be signs that because someone that loves you has passed on, they are still with you, protecting you, guiding you, loving you.
13 comments:
The word hero immediately brings to my mind the 911 first responders, an off duty cop facing danger without his gun to come to the rescue of a stranger, but your heroes brought to my mind my family. My daughters work so hard to keep their families safe and together. It's so much harder today with the things the way they are; the economy, the war, the terrorists. Thank you, ALee, for sparking that thought and I think I'll call my daughters right now to tell them how proud I am of them.
I agree. Our kids are amazing, if in this crazy world they find their passions, both in work and people, and don't let themselves get sucked up in the "poor me' syndrome that allows some to justify their dependence on drugs, alcohol or some other deviant escape.
Thanks for visiting, Jason, I knew I could count on you to stop by.
My Dad was my real hero. He was the one who would read us a chapter every night from a classic novel. When I was an adult and divorced with children, he stepped in to be the adult male who they could admire and emulate. A good man who is still missed.
Yes, Barbara and we are very fortunate to have Dads who didn't just 'bring home the bacon' but were there to hug, and nurture...and read us stories. Have you ever read Reading With Dad by Richard Jorgensen? It is a children's picture book ( I am an elementary school librarian). I'm sure you will enjoy this book. It brings tears but such lovely memories.
Great post, Andrea. My dad, who passed away a few months ago, was amazing. After raising seven kids and retiring, he became a deacon who truly acted out his faith, helping anyone who needed it, through word or deed. He is greatly missed.
After losing a good friend to brain cancer, I made him the hero of my contemporary TWRP's now considering. He inspired everyone around him to be their best.
Thanks for sharing.
My father who, though wounded with shrapnel, only 16, left a burning airplane without his parachute on since as a left wing gunner, he couldn't wear it during a mission. Once he could get it on during his free-fall, he couldn't release the parachute until it was almost too late. The blast from the plane sent him upward again, giving him enough time to pull the ripcord. Hiding from the SS Troops in the frozen German countryside after many of the USAF planes had been shot down, he watched a fellow crewman parachute shortly after he did. He hurried from his hiding place to help him hide his parachute under leaves. Two soldiers with their German Shephard located them, and while airmen were locked up in a chicken coop with others, he knew they were going to die. He survived 16 months of death marches and starvation. On a later adventure, he survived a typhoon in the Persian Gulf on a ferry, while he and another airman strapped as many natives to the ferry as they could before they had to hold on tight. He survived a near drowning where 4 other children did drown on a sandbar in the Duwamish River. He had a rich life and I was always proud of him for all he'd been through and for how great a father he was despite his lack of a decent family to raise him--which was why he nearly drowned in the Duwamish, and why he ended up as a POW in Germany at 16 on his 13th mission.
There are heroes everywhere. The best are those unacknowledged.
A lot of people who give time to our country.
Hi, Andrea - and great post! Loved reading about your heroes. Like Cate, my hero is my dad. He's always been the rock of our family, the leader and foundation. I just adore him. :-) Thanks for a touching, and thought-provoking blog!
When I think of heroes the first thing that comes to mind is soldiers, men and women who put their lives on the line day after day for their country. This Christmas I met visiting relatives stationed at the air force base in the demilitarized zone, South Korea. Every day they stand ready to protect us from a nuclear missle launched from North Korea. Or get blasted themselves. It was very humbling. His Korean tour is over in four month. Next tour is somewhere in Afganistan. His wife and girls won't be staying with him, but will make a home somewhere on the east coast, maybe close to us. I now include him and his family in my prayers.
Thank you Cate, Terry, Mary, Marianne and Susan for your comments. We all write romance novels and create imaginary heroes, but I think we can all agree that the true heroes are the ones that touch our lives so richly and unselfishly. Dad's for sure, and do they ever really know how much we admire them?
Terry, Thank you especially for sharing your Dad's story of survival. What an amazing life.
Ah heroes,
Mine would have to be my Dad also. Like Terry, my Dad had several amazing escapes during his war time service in Singapore and Malaya during WW2. My TWRP novel, The Trouble With Playboys is dedicated to him, and I was able to read all the letters he sent to my mother while he was away fighting. She kept all of them, and they made fascinating and poignant reading. We found out that Dad did heroic things, but he always maintained he was ordinary.
Most heroes seem to be quiet and unassuming aqnd others have to tell the tales of the gallantry.
Regards
Margaret
Alee, thanks for such a a thought provoking post. You remind us that heroes can be found everywhere, in anyone who gives of themselves, cares for their families, or overcomes adversity.
Wonderful post, Alee. Jana is right about it being very thought-provoking and reminding us to look all around us for the heroes we miss every day.
Best of luck with your new book!
Linda
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