{"id":1546,"date":"2015-02-09T10:22:31","date_gmt":"2015-02-09T10:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/?p=1546"},"modified":"2015-02-06T18:36:56","modified_gmt":"2015-02-06T18:36:56","slug":"food-for-thought-whos-your-hero","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/2015\/02\/food-for-thought-whos-your-hero.html","title":{"rendered":"Food for Thought: Who’s Your Hero?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Image<\/a>
Image courtesy of nuchylee\/FreeDigitalPhotos.net<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We’re thick in the “hero” season, with holidays and other celebrations focused on individuals or concepts (such as Valentine’s Day and love) that remind us of the heroes in our lives. Martin Luther King, J.r., Day in January and Black History Month this month; Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday and George Washington’s Birthday in February, Purim in March, and Easter in April – throughout these days, we’re surrounded by stories of bravery, old and new. \u00a0And this leads me to ask:<\/p>\n

Who is my hero? Who is your hero? And, why?<\/p>\n

I suppose we don’t have to have just one hero (and I’m using the term to mean either a man or a woman). My mother, my friends, my doctors, those I learn from – these are all heroes in my mind and heart. \u00a0Jesus Christ, Mary, the Apostles – these and other religious heroes figure prominently, too. And then, as I look at the world around me, there are public figures who are heroes, especially those who stand up to injustice or continue working for good despite tremendous odds.<\/p>\n

Lately, I have found myself learning and reading more about the many heroes throughout history. I just can’t get enough of their stories and the inspiration they provide through their examples. I wash away the cynicism and down-beat influences of bad news and bad deeds others carry out by filling my mind with these stories of goodness, bravery, and love. I feel more energized doing this, more hopeful. And, certainly educated and edified by the things these people do and have done.<\/p>\n

Some people will say that, today, there are no heroes. I say there are many, all around us, and it’s our privilege to get to know them in everyway we can. Through the light that they shine, our world is brighter and we are inspired to, yes, strive for heroism, too!<\/p>\n

Joy and peace,<\/p>\n

Maureen<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We’re thick in the “hero” season, with holidays and other celebrations focused on individuals or concepts (such as Valentine’s Day and love) that remind us of the heroes in our lives. 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She expected to be writing scripts. God had other plans. A few years after her graduation, Maureen was diagnosed with a life-threatening case of organ-involved lupus. Her life turned upside down as she grappled with the effects of the illness and other health conditions that ensued. She was no stranger to serious health challenges; even as a child, Maureen had survived numerous bouts of pneumonia, flu, and other infections. But lupus made her take a fresh look at her life goals - and took herlifelong, strong Catholic Christian faith and writing in a direction she'd never imagined. Today, Maureen writes and speaks about walking with the Lord while living with chronic pain and illness. Her most recent book is \"Don't Panic!: How to Keep Going When the Going Gets Tough (Franciscan Media). She is also the author of, \"Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness\" (Image Books\/Randomhouse), \"Beyond Pain: Job, Jesus, and Joy\" (Twenty-Third Publications), \"The First Year: Hypothyroidism, Second Edition\" (Perseus) and \"Taking Charge of Lupus: How to Manage the Disease and Make the Most of Your LIfe.\" She writes the syndicated column, \"Living Well,\" for Catholic News Service, and has also written for Saint Anthony Messenger Magazine, Journey for Women Magazine, The Upper Room Magazine, LupusNow, and Arthritis Today. Maureen's health continues to be a challenge, however she feels honored to be able to bring her perspective, from experience and knowledge, to others. \"Good Days...Bad Days with Maureen Pratt\" is a new way for Maureen to reach people who carry the burden of illness and pain in their lives, or who care for someone who does. Through the blog, she hopes to bring issues of health, wellness, and spirit into focus and, especially, inspire others that, no matter what health challenges, illness, or hardships they endure, each person can find a good way to realize the wonderful potential God has placed within each heart and soul.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.maureenpratt.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/author\/mpratt"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/548"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1546"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1547,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1546\/revisions\/1547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gooddaysbaddays\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}