It's easy to find real-life heroes and introduce our children to them. Why not start with our own Armed Services? Men and women in uniform don't often make the cover of magazines, but they are in every town across America and probably in your neighborhood, or even in your own family.
It's not enough to celebrate them once or twice a year from afar. Seek them out; incorporate accounts of their service into ongoing conversations with your sons and daughters. We need to pull out the old history books and classic stories as well as recent accounts by America's warriors. Two great resources are the documentary and book, Warriors...in Their Own Words which describe heroics in Iraq and feature interviews with those who are gladly sacrificing right now for our families. (You can order the DVD and book at www.WarriorstheFilm.com).
There's something very powerful and inspiring when a child meets a flesh-and-blood hero fighting on their behalf or reads personal accounts of what motivates them to serve so selflessly. It can be visionary and life-changing. If you take the time to teach your child about real heroes, you might just end up creating one.
Rebecca Hagelin
Rebecca Hagelin is a public speaker on the family and culture and the author of the new best seller,
30 Ways in 30 Days to Save Your Family.
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