When we think of role models and heroes, we often think of those who are out there in the spotlight, making a difference. Sometimes we name those leaders throughout the centuries who have paved the way for us and left their footprints on society. Regardless, we seem to always take note and pay the most attention to people who have made a name for themselves and are doing great things in life. However, there are many heroes who never get recognized for the work that they do and who work behind the scenes to make this world a brighter place. They are the ones who help others reach their dreams and help them to get into the spotlight. They aren't noticed or recognized because they are overshadowed by those who have made a name for themselves. Everyone knows the big names, but they don't seem to realize that there were people who helped encourage the big names to get where they are.

Whenever I list my heroes and role models, I always name leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. or Mother Teresa. Sometimes I say that it is the survivors out there who have overcome obstacles in their lives and have risen above the ashes of their past who have made a huge difference in my life. The truth be told, the biggest inspiration in my life is not someone famous and not someone well known at all. In fact, he is just an everyday person, but to me, he is so much more than just an everyday person. He is not only my best friend in life but he is also the one who saw me through the tough times growing up. This person is none other than my older brother, Michael.

Most siblings growing up are not always that close to each other. So I consider myself blessed to have a brother who was always there for me and who is still there for me today. Like all siblings, we had our little fights and arguments during childhood, but for the most part, my brother was my protector and guardian angel during my rough childhood years. I guess you could say that even starting out in life, we developed a close bond. My parents used to love to tell the story of when our mother brought me home from the hospital. Michael was two and a half years old at the time that I was born. As the story goes, when the car pulled up in the driveway, my brother ran out to the car and peered in the front seat window where our mom sat holding me in her arms. Looking down at me, he exclaimed, "Oh my precious moments!" From then on, the close sister brother friendship remained throughout our childhood and into our adult years.

I honestly don't know what I would have done without Michael. Although our dad never laid a hand on him, I know that our dad put a lot of pressure on him, too. Sadly, when my brother decided to go to a college that he wanted to go to and not the Christian one that our parents wanted him to attend, they chose to disown him and cut him off for good. In 2006, my brother asked me if I would go visit our parents with him so he could try to talk to them and attempt to put things back together. But they made the decision not to accept him because they didn't like his lifestyle and they thought he would be a threat to their newly adopted 1 and a half year old daughter. It really is their loss that they have not gotten to know their son and that they have banned him from their lives. Michael is one of the most selfless, caring people I know and I am not saying that just because he is my brother. He got himself into college and is close to finishing his degree; in fact, he's taking a few certifications to help him out soon. Despite what our parents may think, he is not wasting or throwing his life away. He's been through his share of trials but through it all, he has remained strong, always finding a way to come out on top.

Ok, so let me back up and go back to our childhood. As I said before, Michael was always my protector and guardian angel who watched over me. Sure, I went through that stage where I was the little tag along sister and he didn't want me going everywhere, but we always stood up for each other and had each other's backs. I remember one time when I was at college, this was the time I attended one semester of the same Christian college that our parents wanted him to go to, and some freshman guy was stalking me. Well, my brother came to visit me and I told him what was going on. We were sitting with a group of my friends in the social area that they referred to as The Commons. I saw the guy from across the room staring at me. He went into the bookstore but I told my brother who it was. Michael actually went into the bookstore, went up to the guy, and told him to leave me alone and that if he didn't stay away from me, then he would answer to him. That's my brother, always looking out for his little sister.

When we were younger, it was my brother who would always make sure I left the house when our parents were really fighting and I could hear them getting violent behind closed doors. He didn't want me to be around it, so he would open the front door and gently push me out, telling me to go on a walk. When our dad would tear me down, it was Michael who was there to tell me it wasn't my fault and that I wasn't a bad person. Our parents actually made him get his GED so he could get a job and pay for my education at this private Christian school that they sent me to my freshman and sophomore years of highschool. At the time, my brother was really into running and was an awesome runner. In the town that we had moved from, he had set records in cross country and long distance in track. He made it to the state meets in cross country. He disciplined himself and took care of himself, always pushing himself to be the best. I remember my brother being in the newspaper all the time. Every cross country and track meet he had, I would be there to cheer him on. I even made signs for him and would wait along the trail at certain points to yell for him and encourage him. When I started running cross country in middle school, it was Michael who waited after his meets and cheered for me as I crossed the finish line. He attended all my basketball games and cheered me on, never failing to encourage me.

He could have attended a public highschool when we moved to Florida had our parents not have made him get his GED and start working so he could pay for me to go to that Christian school. His senior year would have been his chance to get noticed in running and get a scholarship. But our parents made him give that up when it shouldn't have been his responsibility to even pay for my highschool education. He never saw any of that money. But he never complained about the sacrifices that he made for me. Even when he went on to college and moved out of the house, he'd call me and send me cards for my birthday and send me cards just to say hi. He was the one who told me to go ahead and move out at 17 because he knew how rough it was at home. When I became a writer and had my first book published, I gave the first copy to my brother. He told me to sign it for him so he could tell his friends, see I really do know her and I really am her brother. He even started bragging to his friends about me and how I had become a published author. Often after fights in my marriage, it was Michael that I would call and talk to for a few hours about what was going on. He would offer me advice and just be there to listen. He was there for me when the news of the divorce came out.

There's never been a time that Michael hasn't been there for me. Sure, paths in our lives have led us different ways, but that doesn't mean we have grown apart. I always know that he is only a phone call or an email away when I need to talk. Even when he's busy, he finds the time to contact me. Our parents don't know what a wonderful person they are missing out on knowing. In the midst of adversity, my brother has made his own way in life, continuing to follow his dreams. When I look at him, I see someone who is filled with so much courage, determination, and strength. I see a brother who has grown in so many ways over the years and who has a heart full of compassion when it comes to helping others. He is one of those people who would give the shirt off his back to help someone in need. He never asks for anything in return, either. He willingly makes sacrifices in life. When I look at him, I see the one person who has always been there for me, who has never given up on me, and who has never stopped believing in me. I see the best friend who has always loved me for the person that I am and has never judged me for anything. He's been the one to offer me advice and help me to grow as a person too. He is the one who has taught me so many valuable lessons, the one that I share so many fond memories with, and the one who has never stopped caring about me. I see the best friend and brother who has taken me by the hand and opened my eyes to see all the beauty inside me. I see the brother who has encouraged me to pursue my dreams and has stood beside me through every trial I have endured. The one that when I want to give up whispers to me, "Don't give up" as he reminds me of how far I have come in life and how many people I am helping and reaching with the work that I do. For this and so many more reasons, my older brother Michael is my hero in life and my main inspiration in life. Honestly, as I write this, I can feel the tears welling in my eyes, not out of sadness, but from the fact that I have such a caring, understanding, loving brother who has given me a reason to live and has shown me the meaning of life, teaching me that life is definitely worth living.


I think that we all have those unsung heroes in our lives that we can give credit to for helping us along the way. It could be a friend, it could be a relative, it could be a family member, it could be a boyfriend or a girlfriend, or it could even be a complete stranger who just took the time to be there for us and listen to us. Yes, there are those who have achieved great popularity and fame in their lives, but you know, I'm sure that they had someone standing behind them, encouraging them to pursue their dreams and goals. It truly makes a difference when you have someone there that cares about you and loves you, who takes you by the hand when you feel yourself falling, who covers you with their wings and protects you from harm, who shelters you with their love, who walks beside you every step of the way in your journey of life and never once gives up on you no matter what you are going through or facing. These angels unaware are the ones who deserve the recognition and deserve the attention for all the hard work they do in helping us to grow and become better people.

They are the ones who give us that gentle push when we need it, reminding us to never give up in life when we find ourselves getting close to that brink of defeat. They are the ones that always know when something is wrong even when we don't say a word. They just have that way of looking us in the eyes and seeing straight to our hearts and souls. These unsung heroes are the ones that we have come to learn so much from and their lessons of love and compassion we spread to others and pass down to those in our own lives. They are the ones that even when they aren't with us, we can still hear their voices inside our heads and hear them whispering those words of encouragement to us. We carry them with us in our hearts forever for they always have a special place in our hearts since they've played such an important part in our lives. We owe them so much gratitude for the work that they have done.

It is amazing what compassion and love can do to a person and how it can change their life forever. I know that I have achieved so many of my dreams as I am just beginning to really live my life again, but I know that I couldn't have done it without the unsung heroes in my life such as Michael and my late honorary dad (RIP Alan), who always believed in me and helped me see all the good qualities that lay in my heart. Life is empty without friends and loved ones there for us. I won't ever forget the ones who have helped me to achieve my dreams and have stood beside me through everything. To them, I owe so much. It is nice knowing that you have those people there for you who love you and care about you. Make sure you tell the unsung heroes in your life how much you appreciate what they have done for you and how much you love them. If it's one thing that I learned with the passing of my honorary dad, it is that you never know how much time you are going to have with someone. I never could have guessed that the conversation I had with him the night before he went to the hospital would be the very last words I spoke to him. So make sure that you spend time with those unsung heroes in your life and that you let them know how much you love them. It's nice for them to know that the work they are doing has not gone unnoticed and that they have not been taken for granted. Just as we appreciate people telling us how we have made a difference in their lives, our unsung heroes appreciate it when we tell them how they have changed our lives and made a difference.