As a young boy, I, like many other children, admired fictional superheroes. One of my childhood favorites was the DC comic hero Superman. With his unfathomable strength, he fought for both truth and justice, whether the odds were in his favor or not. He strove to vanquish all forms of evil and give assistance to those in need.
Throughout my youth, I constantly dreamed of meeting this man. His ideologies accurately personified the man I hoped to become as I grew of age: strong, courageous and most importantly, a light. A light that others would be able look to in their time of need. Upon reflecting on the accomplishments of this superhero, however, I have realized that I have already met the Superman of my own life. My father.
I believe that my father encompasses the characteristics of Superman perfectly. He constantly seeks to improve his physical and mental strength in order to provide for me and my family. He tackles challenging endeavors with only one goal in mind, success, no matter how daunting the task may be. He has acted as my light for as long as I can remember.
When you become a mother or a father, you are not given handbooks labeled, “Raising Children 101” or “Parenting for Dummies”. However, after meeting my father, you would assume he had. Reflecting on my childhood, I was always instructed on how to be both a gentleman and an upstanding and productive member of society. This was an easy task for me since I modeled my life in a way that reflected his.
My father worked countless hours in order to make enough money to support his family of four. I remember running to him after his long day of work, where he would lift me up and greet me with a smile. We would have our usual talk about how our day went, which was often about ten minutes long. He would then take a shower and change into another uniform and go to his second job. I was always told that no matter how much you want to quit sometimes, you cannot. He also expressed how you should be someone that others can count on.
He would volunteer his free time, which he already had very little, whenever someone was in need and would devote himself to solving their problems. This ignited my passion to involve myself in various service activities.
My father continues to amaze me to this day. He had recently retired from his job as a police officer, and before I knew it, he was working somewhere else! I’m sure you could guess that he is exceptionally driven and always strives to do his best.
Most importantly, I can thank my father for introducing me to my passion for running. I was in third grade and had been running for two years. However, I was not the best runner on the team and was constantly discouraged. I can vividly recollect the day I went to my father and told him that I wanted to quit. That day, he told me what it meant to be a member of a team. He told me never to throw in the towel. If I ever wanted to be a valuable member of the team, I would have to work twice as hard as everyone else in order to surpass them. This important lesson still resonates with me today. As a senior in high school, I was the fourth fastest man on the varsity team. I can only thank my father for believing in me, when even I did not believe in myself, because my career would have ended nine years earlier.
The expression, “not all heroes wear capes”, resonates deep within me. My father has gone above and beyond for me and my family, and I cannot thank him enough. I would be a fragment of the man I am today if it was not for his belief that I, too, could hopefully have a positive influence on those around me. With his faith and teachings, I hope to exceed his expectations. It is for that reason that I can call my father, my hero.
