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Unsung Heroes

            There are unsung heroes among us, and I am fortunate enough to be friends with one of them. Unsung heroes quietly go around and unselfishly do good deeds without expecting anything in return. In the age we live in, this is a phenomenon.

My friend Steve will drop anything he’s doing for a friend and pick them up if their car is broken down. He mows my lawns because he knows I cannot even get the silly lawnmower started. Undaunted and laughing, he will stand in slimy pond water up to his knees and get my waterfall flowing again. He takes his ex-mother-in-law to doctor appointments and has helped his ex-wife and her fiancé move into their new home. Kids of no relation call him “Dad.” He’s there with chicken soup if you’re sick or a bottle of wine for “just because.” Taking shifts with his brother, he takes care of his ailing mother for days at a time sleeping on a less than comfortable couch.

Never taking himself too seriously, he has dressed up like “Mrs. Doubtfire” complete with gray wig, skirt and sensible shoes at Halloween and danced around with a broom. He has volunteered his time singing and playing the guitar at church and recently at a middle school. He’s there with a laugh or a shoulder to cry on. Why does he do it? I believe he genuinely without artifice, cares about others. Those in his life are lucky to know this unsung hero.

Sonny Shaw