Personal Heroes

To be brave is to cry
But still to fight on,
And that's what you did,
Our hero, our son.

The battle was hard.
We thought we had won,
But still you fought on,
Our hero, our son.

The happiness you brought
To the lives you have touched
Will live on forever
As you are loved so much.

When we close our eyes we can see you.
When we whisper your name we can hear you,
And when we reach with our hearts we can touch you.

Goodnight our hero, our son, our Dan.
You are just a child
But you have died a man.

He wasn't a hero
Known by the world,
But a hero he was
To his little girl.

My daddy was a god
Who knew all things.
And better than Santa,
With the gifts he'd bring.

I knew his voice
Before I could speak
And loved it when
He would sing me to sleep.

He changed my diapers
And sat up all night
When my body was weak
And I'd put up a fight.

He'd come home late
With not much to say
And made us all kneel
As he taught me to pray.

He taught me life's lessons
Of right from wrong
And instilled in me values
That I might be strong.

And so through the years,
Like a hero he stood.
Working to give
All that he could.

His presence was important,
And we loved to see him smile,
For no one in the world
Could emulate his style.

And so, dear Dad,
My best memory to recall
Is the gift of your presence,
The greatest gift of all.

A hero to me is not just a person who died for their country
or went inside a burning building or stuff like that.
A hero to me is a single mother who survives every day by herself,
A teenager against all odds getting through life,
An alcoholic walking into a rehab center,
A father being not just a father
but a friend, caregiver, supporter, a brick wall for his kids.
A friend, who no matter what or how wrong you are,
stands up for you and takes your side.
A hero, who no matter how hard they are being hit or pushed or beat down,
no matter how bad they are emotionally or physically or psychologically,
they stand up and keep going.
They push through the pain of life, love, kids, work, school, drugs,
sports, parents, heartbreak, alcohol; that to me is a hero.
A person who isn't just there, but is there living, breathing, and surviving.

Have you seen the doctors who hardly get to sleep?
From sad weary eyes, silent tears they weep.
They're battling to save hundreds of lives,
Yet see so many dying right before their eyes.

Have you seen the nurses, tired and worn,
Just come from doing many hours on the wards?
Have you seen them out, walking on lonely streets
Searching empty shelves, for nourishing food to eat?

Have you seen domestics, putting safety first
Keeping hospitals clean, fighting off the germs?
Bravely they go into infectious wards,
Never thinking of themselves, no not at all.

Have you seen the porters, down on their heels,
Walking many miles, pushing many wheels?
We must respect this valued band of women and men.
Though they go unnoticed, we can't do without them.

Have you seen the caterers, keeping all folk fed?
The staff and the patients lying in their beds.
Such an important part to play in someone's health,
A role that couldn't be compared to any amount of wealth.

A great big thank to all National Health Staff
To every volunteer coming forward like they have.
You all have a part of our hearts, are in every prayer we make.
May God bless you all, keeping you well and safe.

He is not the kind of hero who is fighting in the war.
He is not one who sails offshore.

I don't call him Sergeant, Captain, or Sir.
His title is DAD; that is for sure!

He is the fixer of my broken things
And the household doctor when I get bee stings.

He picks me up when I fall down 
And always turns my frown upside down.

He keeps me safe when I sleep at night. 
He gives me seconds when I have a big appetite.

That's my Dad. That's who he is.
He deserves a medal for the things he did.