As young children, we have many heroes in our lives. We look up to Disney princesses, superheroes, professional athletes, and even television characters. Little did we know that these people would not remain our heroes for long. As we become older and mature, we recognize who the true heroes are. War veterans, teachers, and parents become our new heroes. Today, I would like to focus on a group who we can all agree has been a true hero, especially during the times of a pandemic. Professional health care workers are risking their lives every day in order to save others, proving their heroism.
In class, we have focused on the hero journey and the characteristics of a hero. When reading Beowulf, we learned that Anglo-Saxons admired intelligence, strength, and bravery. Doctors and nurses fit these qualities better than anyone. These medical professionals risk their lives every day to help others. They step into work and face the unspeakable. Knowing that they could end up contracting and bringing this deadly virus home to their loved ones, is something they worry about daily. However, they continue to do their job for families all across the world. Working on ways to improve treatments, techniques, and medicine takes intelligence. Working long hours, struggling to breathe in masks, burning out emotionally, and fighting through exhaustion takes mental and physical strength. Providing support and empathy to patients who are suffering takes an extreme amount of mental stability. Walking away from your family each morning, knowing you could never see them again takes bravery. Ultimately, these health care providers are selfless and continue to put others before themselves in the hardest times.
So although health care providers aren't fighting off monsters or killing dragons, they are doing a job that many are not willing to do. Their dedication and continuous hard work should not be overlooked, which is why they deserve to be recognized as heroes. One who sacrifices their own life to save another is and always will be a true hero.
Agree! This is a year that I hope we all realized that we should really look up to people who work hard to better our world, not necessarily celebrities.
ReplyDeleteI think its so important that you brought attention to the health care heroes, and the mental and physical challenges that they face on the daily. Especially in the middle of a pandemic, because everything is that much more exhausting, and trying. I love how you mentioned that the qualities that were admirable when Beowulf was written like, "bravery" and "intelligence" can be applied to our front line health care workers today.
ReplyDeleteI like how your brought attention to healthcare workers and acknowledged them as heroes, even if they don't follow the traditional hero stereotype like Beowulf does.
ReplyDeleteI love that you talked about healthcare heroes and I did the same in my post!
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