Looking through many of the articles in Teen Ink’s Heroes section, I find lots of references to people whom the authors know personally. There are ten ordinary people described for every activist or astronaut. These are the ordinary heroes, the ones who have done nothing truly astounding. They may not have led a grand expedition or saved anyone’s life, and they certainly haven’t fought and killed any dragons like the heroes of epic fantasy.

They are the kind of people who would stay by a friend’s side or give a stranger money. Some of them inspire a love for learning, while others choose to raise children. Others just contribute an idea, a spark of inspiration that will lead another to create something better. You’d never notice them, unless you’re the one closest to them or the one they’ve helped.

They are teachers, housewives, mothers, fathers, engineers, and maintenance men, and the list goes on. It’s their behavior that sets them apart. You can spot them by their quiet courage and perseverance. They aren’t doing what they do for fame or because others told them to; they do it from a true desire to help. You can trust them to do whatever they believe is right.

I don’t know many of them – or perhaps I simply haven’t recognized them yet. However, I do know this: They have made the world better by filling the lives of those around them with joy. Some of them have been recognized; others never will be. I honor them, the heroes who will not be forgotten though never mentioned in the textbooks of the future.