Everyday Hero Stories

Where did your values come from?

We've all had people in our lives who have made a positive impact on us. A parent or grandparent, a sibling who was there for us, or maybe even just a guy who shines shoes for a living? Whoever they are, tell us their story so they can inspire us even more.

Tell Us Your Story
PEACE
WORLD PEACE -- AND THE FAITH OF THE MUSTARD SEED My Dad taught us to believe that the human is "The Inventor Animal", and so naturally became Earth's ruler -- to make the planet as free from suffering as possible, knowing that only by bringing peace to all living things could we humans gain it surely for ourselves. But he noted that our human family got...
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MAKING A DIFFERENCE
BANKSY Banksy is an anonymous British graffiti artist, political activist, film director and painter. I have been following Banksy for some time now and it makes me happy to see him spreading joy to the world through something as simple and beautiful as drawing on a wall. "Graffiti is one of the few tools you have...
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ENCOURAGEMENT
UNKNOWN SOLDIER I can't even remember my hero's name, but not a day goes by that I don't think of him. We were stuck overnight in a bus station in the middle of downtown Detroit in a fairly bad section. It was the only place to go and we had been told that it was open 24 hours. When we got there, however, we were told that...
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UNITY
WANDA H My mom (and I know it sounds a bit cliche) is my hero. She is my hero because on her own, she raised three kids, that are now all young adults. She has always taught my brothers and I that we need to value everyday that we have, together and apart. Every date in time is special and unique, because it will never...
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DETERMINATION
ZACHARY J My son Zachary is my hero. He is a 14 year old boy diagnosed with moderate Autism. He faces every day with determination, courage and with a beautiful smile. He is an inspiration to many, including his mama.
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LOVE
TA-TANISHA M I am 14 years old and I have to say that I have a lot of inspirations, but only one hero, My mom. She's always there to see me through, wipes all my tears away and her smile is amazing; when she smiles she will brighten up anybody's day. But the main reason why she is my hero is because she is the greatest. Yeah...
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MOTIVATION
PEDRO P My hero would be my dad. I believe dads are the real heroes of the world. My dad has 10 children including me. I'm now 20 years old but lived in a small town from Mexico until I was 12 years old. We grew mostly with my mom since my dad spent most of the time working in the U.S. to support his big family. We only...
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BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
POSTIVE ATTITUDE I was 14 years old when my father died, he was the main source of income. He left a widow and 3 young children behind. We had severe financial problems and struggled to have food, basic education, etc. Forcing us to discontinue our education for 3 years after matriculation. Despite our challenges my mother has...
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KINDNESS
CRY BABY I was shopping in our local Walmart the other day slightly annoyed by somebody's screaming child, who just would not quiet down. The small boy could be heard throughout the store, yelling just to yell. He looked at me as I passed his mother pushing the cart that he sat in and I smiled as I looked back. He said...
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BELIEVE
CEDRIC SEBASTIEN C Cedric is my boyfriend and my hero. We share a lot of things together but I think I learned most of my favorite values from him. He believed in me when everyone else didn't, even me. He's not perfect but he's my ideal of perfection, he's my best friend, he gave me hope when I needed it the most, always pushes me...
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INCLUDING OTHERS
FAMILY PHOTO I do this to help others because I feel the loss myself of my missing loved ones and it depresses me: When I see a family or group looking to take a group photo in front of at an attraction or in a moment of joy. I offer to take the photo and do so as expertly as possible, as I am an experienced photographer, so...
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HELPING OTHERS
HAROLD B My Fiancee Harold is my hero! I have never met a man with such a genuinely kind heart and so willing to help anybody in need without reservation, hesitation or expectation of anything in return. Whether it's a family member or friend or simply a stranger on the street he is simply there for people and he uses...
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FRIENDSHIP
COURTNEY W I first met Courtney in my first year of middle school in my English room. She was so warm and kind that I felt honored to speak to such a nice angel. Courtney became my first true friend that I could ever count on. She was always there in a heartbeat when I needed her wise words of wisdom. She became my wise...
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FRIENDSHIP
AUSTIN M Austin is my best friend and my hero because he came to me when I was all alone. He believed in me when I myself could not. I became friends with him two years ago. I had just been accepted into a new school. I felt alone and depressed because none of my friends came with me. I missed them dearly and was about to...
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OVERCOMING
THE STORY OF BILL It was a bitterly cold January evening in 2000, the end of a day Bill thought would never end. It had seemed like an exceptionally long day because the illness that he had been diagnosed with only a few weeks prior suddenly felt real to him. He had been in denial of this disease of Multiple Sclerosis. After all,...
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CARING
BRITTANY G I'm an 11 year girl and Britt is my babysitter. It sounds embarrassing but she cares a lot about me. When ever I'm sad she will help me, she teaches me stuff, and she always makes me laugh. One time at the pool I fell and she helped me up she loves me. I love her and I am going to miss her when she isn't here...
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COMPASSION
MARY C I have to say too that my Mom is my hero. Our family lost my father in 1972. She is the mother of 3, I am the middle child. I was 13, my brother 14 and my baby sister was 9. My mother has taught me all there is to know about being a mother myself and the type of person that people can depend on. When we were...
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CHARACTER
WHAT THE WIND BLEW IN El Paso is a windy city in the spring. Because we are in a desert, wind means sand. Today's sandstorm was a ferocious one, coating everything in dirt and blowing away anything not secured. While waiting at a traffic light, I noticed a young woman pushing a child in an umbrella stroller. I commented to my son, "Oh...
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LOVE
KE YU G My mama Jade is my hero. She is my favorite woman in the whole wide world. She always supports me in every decision I make and showers me with wholesome love and care. Somebody told me once that I was going to grow up and be just like my mom, and I got so excited. That meant I was going to be strong, loving, and...
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GIVING BACK
WA TOY RESTAURANT CHRISTMAS EVE 2007 I was going through a divorce and my son was 4. It was our first Christmas Eve alone to begin new traditions....and I did not know what or how to do that . My sitter was with us and we were going out to look at Christmas lights and she said with all the enthusiasm of a 14 year old not knowing anything but...
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HELPING OTHERS
HELPING SOMEONE IN LABOR ON THE SUBWAY I was on the E train going to work reading a newspaper, looked up to see a pregnant woman crocheting, with a child in a stroller and luggage on her other side. It was midday so the train wasn't crowded. I didn't think anything of it. She started grimacing. Two women beside me noticed and I saw one lady go over to...
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STRENGTH
ROCCO A My dad is my hero because of his strength and courage. My dad has always prided himself in doing the best he can through hard work. He was recently diagnosed with bladder cancer just three months after loosing his son to cancer. He has such a positive outlook even after all he's been through. This is not the...
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INSPIRATION
HARVEY F Harvey is my brother that recently passed away November 30, 2010 from Leukemia. He is one of my heroes. Harvey was 36 years old when he lost his battle to cancer, only being diagnosed with it in February of 2010. Harvey was the most amazing person, with a contagious smile that would light up everyone's hearts....
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HOPE
IT IS WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN... My mom and her cousin were in the woods with their back-packs on. They began to hear a growl-like sound. They thought it was a bear so they ran and climbed a tree. My mom accidentally hit a beehive. The bees swarmed them and attacked. Her cousin got loose, but Mom's bag was stuck on a branch. She was hanging by...
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VISION
BEVERLY S The contributions and beautiful, heart felt words of Jaques Cousteau are never ending. His dedication to both people through understanding cultures and his conviction to document what impact man has had upon on this planet still echoes today. I am so thankful his son, J. M. Cousteau, founded Ocean Futures Society...
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DEVOTION
CANDLELIGHT “Candlelight” By: Patricia L. Bay, Psy.D. I looked across the room and saw him staring at me. I waited for a moment thinking he would say something and finally asked him, “What?” He smiled with his eyes more than his mouth. “You just lit a candle,” he said quietly. He did not need to explain what he meant....
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HARD WORK
THOMAS B My son is without a doubt my hero. He had a rough start as a child, having seizures, poor eyesight and later tics. But he has grown into an inspirational young man. He is in his fourth year of nursing and currently working with brain injured people. He decided to become a nurse when his elderly grandfather came...
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LIVE YOUR DREAMS
JILL L The hero in my life is my wife. Jill is a Special Education Teacher and program facilitator at a major high school in the Chicago suburbs. The single most important thing for her is her students. She takes every one of her students problems seriously and tries to make a difference in each and every one of them....
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FORGIVENESS
NELSON M My hero is Nelson Mandela who taught me to forgive and not have grudges against each other. This has helped me to live a happy and fulfilled life. You don't have to be angry at someone for something they did to you. Let the past be the past and then you are healed and can live a happy life. Thank you.
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FRIENDSHIP
TRICIA D I met my very dear friend Trishy back in 1999 at a job I had recently taken after getting married. The moment we met I just had a feeling this woman and I had a connection much deeper than the average person. Over the next few months/ years she retired from the US Army Reserves and her spouse went full time...
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HOPE
ANA D My mom is my hero. My mom has been a single mom for me and my little sister. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 and she made it through. She fought cancer and she is in recovery! My mom has been very strong because she would pretend everything was ok so my sister and I wouldn't worry even when she was...
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COURAGE
LIZ P My hero is my wife. Below is her story. Swimming Through Breast Cancer by Liz Pittinger In a few days, I will participate in my first swim meet, ever! No, I’m not 11-years-old like my competitive-swimmer daughter. I am a 39 years old stay-at-home mom who is a breast cancer survivor. “You have cancer”...
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TRUE BEAUTY
MICHAEL H Michael H. was the lead singer for my favorite band. I am inspired by him for several reasons: unlike many top rock musicians, he did not have an ego, when he walked out on stage to perform, he gave his performances everything he had, he was not afraid to be himself, he wrote many heartfelt, inspiring, and...
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