<TEARS AND HUGS>

   Heroes come in many shapes, and actions it can be as simple as a child
saying no to drugs for his parents warned him of the troubles.  Heroes are
something this world needs and can never do without.
   We forget and take them for granted till we have that desperate moment
where our world is turned upside down.  Than a helping hand puts a blanket
around our shoulders tell us it will be alright.  A strangers offers a smile
and a kind word of hope enough to stop that unthinkable moment. A hand
reaches into the darkness to pull a loved one to safety risking everything
to save a stranger.   People call them heroes and I call them angels and I
am proud be able to pass their storeis along

I read this many years ago.  I keep if posted on my wall and everytime I
feel like I can't go on.  I read it and know I can go on there is more work
to do.

The Creation of a Firefighter

When the Lord was creating Firefighters, he was into his sixth day of
overtime when an angel appeared and said, "You're doing a lot of fiddling
around on this one." And the Lord said," Have you read the specification on
this person?

Firefighters have to be able to go for hours fighting fires or tending to a
person that the usual every day person would never touch, while putting in
the back of their mind the circumstances.

They have to be able to move at a second's notice and not think twice of
what they are about to do, no matter what danger. They have to be in top
physical condition at all times, running on half-eaten meals, and they must
have six pair of hands.

"The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands........no
way."

It's not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord, it's the
three pairs of eyes a Firefighter has to have." That's on the standard
model? "asked the angel. The Lord nodded. "One pair that sees through the
fire and where they and their fellow Firefighters should fight the fire
next. Another pair here in the side of the head to see their fellow
Firefighters and keep them safe. And another pair of eyes in the front so
that they can look for the victims caught in the fire that need their help."

"Lord said the angel, touching his sleeve, "Rest and work on this tomorrow,"
I can't said the Lord, I already have a model that can carry a 250 pound man
down a flight of stairs and to safety from a burning building, and can feed
a family of five on a civil service paycheck."

The angel circled the model of the Firefighter very slowly, "Can it think?"
you bet said the Lord. It can tell you the elements of a hundred fires, and
can recite procedures in their sleep that are needed to care for a person
until they reach the hospital. And all the while they have to keep their
wits about themselves. This Firefighter also has a phenomenal personal
control. They can deal with a scene full of pain and hurt, coaxing a child's
mother into letting go of the child, so they can care for the child in need.
And still they rarely get the recognition for a job well done from anybody,
other than from fellow Firefighters."

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the
Firefighter. "There's a leak, she pronounced." Lord it's a tear, what's the
tear for? asked the angel.

"It's a tear from the bottled-up emotions for fallen comrades. A tear for
commitment to that funny piece of cloth called the American Flag. It's a
tear for all the pain and suffering they have encountered. And it's a tear
for their commitment to caring for and saving lives of their fellow man!"
"What a wonderful feature Lord, You're a genius said the angel.

The Lord looked somber and said

"I didn't put it there"

**Author Unknown**

Wow! She sounds like an incredible woman, you are very lucky to be her
daughter.

My monitor has gone all misty.

That was beautiful Joy. Thankyou.

Yowie

<snip>

Thinking of all the heroes,
Polonca and Soncek

I thought I had this stuff figured out.  Then we went to see the WWII
memorial the weekend my brother was buried.  The memorial was fine.  DC is
full of memorials and I grew up around them.

It wasn't the memorials.  It was the men and women.  The ones who were
there.  Dozens of them, walking slowly around and checking the memorial out.
And stopping to talk to each other.  Other veterans they likely never met
before and will never meet again.  But they stop and talk.  To others who
really understand.  In its own way it impressed my as much as the first time
I walked up to the Lincoln Memorial as a child.

Then after Charlie and Bill were talked out we walked a little further.  To
the women's memorial.  Again the memorial was nice as memorials go.  But
what made my breath catch in my throat were the roses.  There were bouquets
of roses all around its base.  Dozens and dozens of dozens of red roses.

As was said before, its all about the heroes.  And those that remember then
and honor them.

Jo

Celebrate may be the wrong word.  Commemorate might be better.  Some people
say it is only to remember those who died in military service.  Others honor
all heroes.  My mother-in-law always called it "Decoration Day", and would
put flowers on the graves of family members, paying no attention to military
service.

Joy