What Makes a Hero?

On and off during the last couple of years I've read that some men are afraid that books, such as the Twilight series, will give women and girls expectations that they can't possibly meet. They are afraid that their girlfriends or wives will want a perfect guy like Edward. Putting aside the idea that a vampire who sparkles in the sun, and doesn't have the control to do much more than kiss his girlfriend is perfect, the last thing men should be worried about is a fictional hero.

To be a hero to a wife, girlfriend, child or friend doesn't take supernatural ability. Yes, we love reading about men that kick ass and take no prisoners to protect their family, but it's the emotion behind that act of bravery that makes us crave that type of love story.

My husband installed a new water heater this summer, including rewiring the electric in the basement because it was a different type of heater than we'd had before. When he was almost finished I went down to hold the flashlight for him while he did the final wiring. He made a joke about his mad skills and how hot it was that he could do this type of work. We laughed about it, but later I realized that it IS cool, and yes, sexy, that he can give me back hot water without calling an expensive repairman. I also find it sexy that he is a good father, comforts me when I'm sad or stressed, and that he does little things like buy me my favorite kind of chocolate when he knows I had a rough day. All of these things combined make him a hero to me.

Rather than worrying about women having unrealistic expectations, perhaps guys should be focusing on truly getting to know someone and learning what makes them tick. If men really took a good look at our favorite romance novels I think they'd find that they CAN meet those expectations in their own way. Women aren't stupid. We know our man will never have supernatural strength to fight vampires or zombies. He may not have perfect abs or the ability to wield a sword, but that's okay. It's more about us wanting a man that we can IMAGINE would do those things if he could.

I think women simply want their own personal hero. For each of us this means something different and the man who figures it out is the one we'll love forever.

What do you think?

~Brenda

Brenda Hyde has been a freelance writer of home and garden articles for over 20 years, and now she's also writing paranormal romance through short stories and novellas. You can find her at the Wayfaring Writer blog here: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/.