Many qualities comprise a hero
LEWISTOWN — A hero is defined as a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
We all have our own idea of what a hero is or should be but personally, for me, it’s someone I admire, someone who I wish I could be more like. Not in a sense of looks or money or how much they have or don’t have but someone I look at and think, “wow, they are stepping up to this struggle called life and laughing in its face.”
They don’t let the bad around them get them down and no matter what obstacles come their way, they overcome them time and time again. They also don’t have things easy. A hero to me is someone who has had to go through ups and downs but manages to come out a better person than when they went in.
I may be a little biased but when asked who I viewed as a hero, my best friend came to mind. Desiree Orndorf has been my best friend since before we could talk, since our mothers were best friends and gave birth to us one after the other. But life did what life does and took us on two different paths. Multiple times, actually. But with each passing season, I watched my best friend go through many life changes and many struggles and each time she stepped up and did what needed to be done. She has always been there both physically and financially for her children and that alone makes her my hero.
But if that wasn’t enough, this beautiful, brave, loving being has set goals time and time again and each time she conquers them like it’s nothing. Before she graduated and became an EMT, she had consistent work but then a pandemic came along, taking jobs from everyone around us, including her. She didn’t let this stop her. She used the time to spend with her children and studied extremely hard. Within four months she became a certified EMT.
She literally saves lives but I believe she is a hero because she not only is all-in in her work but she somehow manages to be all-in in every aspect of her life. She is the best mom I have ever had the pleasure of knowing and everyday I try to be a sliver of the kind of mother she is.
She is all-in with every relationship she forms whether you are her friend, coworker, family member or someone she runs into at the gas station. When you get the pleasure of meeting her, you will have a friend for life.
Desiree is a hero because she is brave and has good morals. She is kind and understanding. She shows great compassion in her work and personal life. I admire her patience, her ability to multitask and her determination. All qualities of a hero.
She is currently enrolled in classes to become a paramedic because she wants to continue to grow and learn and become a better person than yesterday. After everything she has been through, it’s truly inspiring to watch.