Heroes

February is the month of love, and love comes in many forms. There is a mother's love for her children, a child's love for his parents, love for family and friends, love for our pets and the love we have for our sweetheart. For women, sweetheart can easily translate into hero. But what makes a good hero?





Is he a knight in shining armor charging to the fair maiden's rescue? A fireman rushing back into a burning house to save the family dog? A Marine carrying a fallen comrade, or a stranger, to safety? How about a doctor who travels the globe to help the injured and the sick? A policeman leading a lost child by the hand to his parents? The neightbor who shovels your driveway? The stockboy who takes the time to bag your groceries correct? Or do you envision a hero as someone like Tony Geary's Luke Spencer on General Hospital, saving the world and Laura from the next sinister plot? Or John Wayne fighting off the bad guys and winning Maureen O'Hara's hand in the end?





Actually, all of these scenarios make for a good hero. Why? Because each and every one represents a man of good character. Someone with high morals and values and who genuinely cares for mankind and his woman. And aren't these the traits we like to see in a romance book hero? A man who is kind, honest and gentle, while at the same time strong within his own skin and beliefs? Someone who will honor, defend, provide for and protect not because society requires it of him, but because deep down this is his true nature? Someone who won't compromise his beliefs by bowing to pressure from outsiders, friends and foes?





While heroes come in all shapes and forms, I'll admit I adore a man who has grit and spit in his blood like the cowboys John Wayne protrayed. I have a weakness for bulging biceps, sculptured chests and someone who can knock the tar out of another because he needs the tar knocked out of him. I also have a fondness for a man who can take down a steer with his bare hands, but only in the romance books I write and read. In my everyday existence, I prefer myhusband.





He's not a cowboy. He doesn't have bulging muscles. And he doesn't use his fists on a daily basis. He's quiet, modest in his work, not the romantic type (though he has been known to surprise me) and a man of character and intergrity. But what I love most about him is his goodness, his values and the little things he does to make life fun and that much more easier.





He is one to shovel the driveway and bag groceries the right way. He takes out the trash, cooks supper, helps with chores and errands and fixes my computer problems. He even puts gas in my truck. He doesn't compromise his beliefs because of what the 'norm' might be at the moment. He listens with an open mind, is willing to help someone in need and he's a good father. Patience might not be his virtue, but he is there for our son, teaching and guiding everyday. He's a true gem when it comes to my side of the family, always has a kind word and enjoys their company, and I can honestly say he has never forgotten a birthday or an anniversary. He's kind, caring, thoughtful, forgiving and a waelth of comfort when the chips are down. That's not to say he doesn't have his faults. He does, because he's human, and I wouldn't give him up for anything.