When you hear the words “heroic men,” you probably first think about soldiers, policemen, firemen, and others who protect and save lives. Next you might also consider teachers, doctors, and other professionals who enrich or improve the lives of others. But today I’d like to salute all the men who are heroic in the way they love their partners.
A friend shared a Buzzfeed post on her Facebook page today about Bob Carey, a husband who was willing to make a fool of himself in order to lift his wife’s spirits during her chemotherapy. As I scrolled through the photos of that nearly naked guy in his pink tutu, my heart melted into a puddle on the floor around me. I adore the fact his love has no pride, no vanity…no limits! Talk about a real-life hero and love story. His actions epitomize the loving relationship many romance writers try so hard to create in four hundred pages or less. A tall order, to be sure!
I have to take a moment to also acknowledge my cousin’s husband, who recently organized a “last day of radiation” surprise for her at the conclusion of her breast cancer treatments. He’d coordinated three “mini-parades” along the route home from the hospital. One was comprised of his entire extended family, standing on a sidewalk along the route home from the hospital, holding signs and releasing pink balloons. The next stop on the parade route was the elementary school where they both work, where dozens of teachers and their families stood carrying signs and pink balloons. The final stop was their own neighborhood, where neighbors and her extended family waited with balloons and cake. Needless to say, my cousin was overwhelmed by the love he demonstrated with his tremendous planning, and by the love she felt from all of the participants who took the time to show up and mark the occasion.
Although these two examples occurred during or following extremely emotional and frightening circumstances, I know there are hundreds of other real-life display of love out there – small moments when an unexpected gesture goes beyond the norm – that prove real men know how to love better than the most swoon-worthy fictional romance heroes.
Care to share a real-life example of heroic love?
xo-jamie
