Parker Defines a Hero…

What defines a hero? This is a question we are often asked in life. A hero can be anyone from someone making you happy when your sad to a super hero like Batman. Every body has their own definition of a hero, but in my opinion anyone can be a hero, even you.

    A hero can be defined in many ways. For example a hero can be just a person who inspires you. In my case I am a 13-year-old kid with arthritis and some of my heroes are the little kids that are like 4-8 living with it. These kids inspire me a lot because they have had excruciating pain their whole life and they don’t know and may never know what it is like to be a kid and just have fun. A hero is also someone who keeps a positive attitude no matter what. My mom always says I’m her hero because with everything I go through I can still maintain a positive attitude.   She says, “Parker you are my hero because you might be little but your enormous strength shines through with every smile and with how you inspire others.” A hero can also be considered someone who risks their life or sacrifices it for the good being of others. The best way I can describe this is with our troops fighting the war. They risk their lives every day some even die just so their county can stay safe and have freedom.

    There are many examples of heroes out there but my biggest hero is Ben Zobrist of the Tampa Bay Rays. I met Ben through my Make-A-Wish in 2011. My wish was to meet him, but he did not only talk to me; he took time out of his practice to introduce me to all the players, give me a tour of the locker room, and play catch with me. But this is not the only reason I consider him a hero. The main reason I consider him a hero is because on May 5^th 2012 I had the walk for arthritis. I thought it would be just like any other arthritis walk but then Ben Zobrist appeared. It wasn’t just him; he actually brought his whole family with him.

Normally when you meet a celebrity they just forget about you but he didn’t. He actually came to my walk and stayed and talked for 2 hours. Then a month later, I was put in the hospital but when I got home Ben and the Rays had sent a box of Rays bobble heads and an autographed bat. Then on my birthday I emailed him and told him I was going to the game and he actually came on the field and waved to me. And I know he did because he emailed me back saying “I saw you at the game today.” But it isn’t just the things he did for me that make him a hero. One big thing is that he plays every position on the field and strives to do his best at all of them. He also has strong Christian faith and his wife is a Christian singer. He is also a great father to his 2 baby children. Something that truly makes him a hero is that he is a good person a wonderful dad and a fantastic role model for all children.

    Now that you know what a hero is, let me explain to you what a hero is not. A hero is not selfish, and what I mean by that is he is not someone who does all the good things he does just so he gets good publicity. Or just helps someone he likes. Or even just helps someone because it benefits him. Also a hero isn’t always someone in tights like batman. I’m not saying batman isn’t a hero but what I am saying is a hero isn’t always someone in tights; a hero could be a old lady helping a boy up after he fell. I feel like a lot of people think that a hero has to be a super hero like batman when in retrospect anyone can be a hero.

    So a hero is someone who inspires you, like Ben Zobrist. A hero is also someone who always keeps a positive attitude through everything. A hero is also someone who risks or sacrifices their life for others. A hero is not someone who is selfish and not necessarily someone in tights. And that is how I define a hero.