Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Everyday Heroines

When I discovered “heroes & heroines” was the RTG theme for August, a plethora of names (both real and imaginary) came to mind:  Thomas Edison, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Stephanie Plum, Marie Curie, and Merida—yes, the Disney princess—you got a problem with that? : )

And the names didn’t stop popping into my melon—there are so many people in history and literature worthy of praise. While all these heroines and heroes have influenced or shaped me in some way, what can I possibly write that you don’t already know (or can Google)?

Thus, it made more sense, to talk about a hero of a more personal nature. The police, firefighter (yeah—those hot firemen), our U.S. military and the janitor who cleans my office came to mind. Again, as much as I appreciate these groups and individuals, these are public figures.
So to keep things simple, I decided to focus my hero blog on people I actually know. Who inspires me on a daily basis? The answer was easy.
·        My daughter: she listens, she loves, and makes me glad to be alive.
·        My friends—they gift me with laughter and purpose.
·        And my critique partners! These women give…and give and give and give.
Dictionary.Com defines a heroine as “a woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for her brave deeds and noble qualities.” Each of my critique partners exhibits these qualities and more. Believe me, it takes great courage to wade through one of my first drafts. Each of my critique partners also excels at brave deeds, often slugging through an entire manuscript in a single weekend simple because I need to submit on Monday.
So Ashantay, Linda, Lori, here’s to you!  Thanks for being there, thanks for encouraging me during those times I wanted to hurl my laptop into the pool, and thanks for all the hours you expend on my behalf. You’re the best.
And finally, the real hero is my late husband, Jim. Gone now for almost a year, he endured the worst without complaint.
But I’m not ready to write about that…yet.
What about you?  Other than family, who are your day-to-day hero/ines?

8 comments:

Linda Lovely said...

Robin, it's a pleasure to read your drafts--even the early ones! No heroics required. And you're just as giving in reading your critique partners' manuscripts. So thank you. Glad to be part of your everyday life. I can't believe almost a year has passed since Jim left us, and I totally agree--he was a true hero.

Shobhan Bantwal said...

Such a poignant and thoughtful tribute to your everyday heroes, Robin, especially your recently-departed husband. Thank you for a lovely post.

Ashantay said...

Moi? A hero? Gosh, I always wanted to be a sandwich!

Now, enough with silliness.

Thank you for your ode to everyday heroes. It is a joy and an honor to be your friend and critique partner.

It takes a lot of courage to show up for life every day. Jim had that in spades - and so do you.

Sarah Raplee said...

What a lovely post, Robin!

My everyday heroes and heroines include a teen in Iowa I know who stood up for her friend who was being bullied because of her race; Genre-ista Courtney Leigh, who joined her mother in rescuing hundreds of dogs from a puppy mill; an attendant at the Shell station we frequent who raised money for victims of domestic violence; all the writers who volunteer in my writer's groups and are willing to mentor new writers; and so many others who show me that every person matters and we can each make the world a better place.

Robin Weaver, Author said...

Wow, Sarah. Those are heroes. I, too, salute the teen, Courtney, Courtney's mom, the Shell station attendant and writers everywhere. Kinda restores your faith in humankind, doesn't it?

Anonymous said...

Wow Robin! That's so sweet. You're my hero too. Thanks for reminding me how important our day to day heroes really are.
Lori

Judith Ashley said...

I wrote about my grandfather last Friday and will add my Aunt Helen who is 104 years old. Her motto? Live day to day, week to week. Hardships are a part of life.

Living through life's challenges (hardships) with grace and dignity is, to me, a part of being a hero/ine.

Thanks for sharing your village with us!

Diana McCollum said...

Heros come in all sorts of packaging. Thanks for sharing yours with us.