A Real Hero -- Rachel Young

Metal swords clang against shining armor. 

Battle cries ring in the air, the smell of smoke and blood fill the scene.

Warriors brawl, strong men shining with sweat as they fight arm to arm, spear to spear.

These are the heroes I've known since I was young, the kind that throw themselves in front of an arrow, the kind that bleed into the earth for the sake of their cause. 

These times of glorious warriors and battles have come and gone, yet I still find heroes all around me today. 

And I think nothing compares to the hero that is a mother.

She has no helmet but the hair on her head. 

No metal armor but the clothes that encase her. 

Yet she is no less strong than any warrior on a battle field. 

Her words her sword, her knowledge laid out for all to hear like arrows flying from a bow. 

She may not bleed into the earth, but all her work is lined with sweat and tears. 

She is selfless, taking blows to protect another. 

She is met with adversity, yet perseveres.  

She is beaten down, she is broken, yet she refuses to give up. 

And through all this, despite pain and loss, she is kind.

Each experience a battle scar, marking her with experience.

Each one teaching her how to better adapt, how to better understand. 

Her hands, though calloused, are gentle and soft on a child's cheek.  

While she may not live through blood stained battles and war and riches, she has braved through just as much hardship. And better still, through it all, continues to love unconditionally. 

A mother, I can say, is one of the greatest heroes to ever live.