My Hero

During creative writing class in second grade we were asked to write about our hero. While those in my class wrote about Superman and other superheroes, there was no hesitation in my decision to write about my Grandpa Morse. I remember my dad putting my creative writing work on the fridge and it being a big deal that I had chosen my grandfather as 'my hero.' My gramps still gets a kick out of when I say it.

I recently looked at the definition of a hero...some of the definitions are 1) a legendary figure often of divine descent with great strength or ability 2) an illustrious warrior 3) a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities or 4) one that shows great courage

For me, none of these definitions even come close to capturing the essense of my hero. Sure I admire him for his achievements (a successful engineer for Westinghouse, a patriarch, a furniture maker, designing his house, a farmer...) and sure he shows great courage (faced with multiple health challenges), but it is more about who he really is as a person, what he has taught us all (big and small), and who we have become as people that starts to just scratch the surface of why I look up to this amazing man.

I also must add that it is very clear to me that my grandfather could not be who he is without my grandmother. Over 60 years of marriage...she has been by his side in sickness and in health and truly amazes me with her dedication and love for 'my hero.'

Below is a recent picture of Brian and me with my Grandma and Grandpa Morse. We love them so much!