Who Is Your Hero?

Do you have a personal hero? Tell us about them. It doesn’t have to be perfect to make a difference in someone else’s life.

Your Everyday Hero: Meredith L.

My wife, Meredith, quit the job she loved to stay home with our four children. While at home, she couldn’t help but notice the need in our community for a mentor, guide, a friend, a coach, particularly for the younger girls. She submitted an idea based on that need to our local school board. Well, they went for it! Now she teaches and mentors 32 girls raging in ages from 9-13. She teaches them self-esteem, anti-bullying skills, positive friendship skills, teamwork, and team spirit. This group of girls also dance and cheer. The girls adore her and she adores them.

Every time they meet, they have a discussion group to talk about those topics openly. They carried her around the 1st day of practice, chanting her name. She asked them why they were carrying her and they said “Because you deserve this. You made this all happen for US!”

This group my wife started allows each girl time to express herself, dance, exercise and just be a girl. My wife came home the other day nearly in tears. She said she asked all the girls to look to their left and say the girl’s name next to them and then say something nice about her out loud for the group to hear (self-esteem building). She got to one girl and she said “This girl to my left, she helped me though a hard time. My parents just got divorced!” She started crying and then the other girl stood up and also started to cry. My wife, loving soul that she is, held those two girls while they were crying. The whole team came over and all said how much they loved that girl. My wife still cries every time she tells this story.

My wife has put her life on hold to help the girls in our community. I am happy to say I married such a great woman, a great friend, and a great mentor to not only our kids, but to 32 younger girls!

Submitted by Riley L.