One of my children mentioned last week that she felt that Hermione was the real hero in the Harry Potter series and she stated that if she had written the books, Hermione would have been the main character. She would have written the stories more from Hermione's perspective. I found myself reflecting on that quite a bit. For me, the real hero in the Lord of the Rings has always been Sam, not Frodo. So perhaps this tendency to look at the supporting characters as the real heroes is a genetic thing. Or perhaps my daughter and I both have this perspective because we are, ourselves, more likely to be supporting characters rather than the heroes in the dramas of life. Both my daughter and I do a lot of writing. And when we write from a personal perspective, we are, necessarily, the heroes in our own narratives. But when we look at the stories of our lives, it is usually other people whose story lines we end up supporting, other people whose lives seem more the center of the particular drama, other people who are the bearers of the rings and "the chosen ones" who take on the villains. Maybe, then, it is from the perspective of being "supporting characters" that we find ourselves more attracted to and interested in the supporting characters of the books we read. Maybe.
And yet... I still think Sam is the bigger hero in the Lord of the Rings. Without Sam, Frodo would not have succeeded. Without Sam, Frodo would never have made it. Without being carried by Sam, Frodo would never be the hero. And while Frodo carries the burden of the ring, he also wins the glory of being the hero. Sam does not have that glory. He has only the burden of carrying Frodo, a much heavier burden in some ways for it includes both Frodo and the ring. The same could be said of Hermione. Hermione is the one to plan, to think, to study, to learn. She is the one who gets them out of the tough situations with the supplies they need, having thought through and planned ahead of time. She is the one who thinks through the challenges and who keeps going no matter what is confronting her personally. She is the one with the eyes to see and guide the "hero" of the novels. And while her work is as intense and as burdensome as Harry's, she does not have her name on the books, she will never have the fame that Harry carries as a result of the challenges he can only face with her support.
Harry, Frodo, all the other heroes we recognize as heroes: their names are forever emblazoned in our hearts and minds. But they never would have been able to do what they did without those supporting characters who made their journeys possible.
I think about this in light of some of the challenges we face as a community, as a country, as a world today. There are real problems that must be faced and addressed. And I think many people (I've seen on FB many people) are wondering where the heroes are, where those who will step up and lead us and make things right could be. But the truth is, the reality is, that it takes all of us to change the world. It takes every act of love and courage and support of one another to confront the "isms" (racism, sexism, heterosexism, ageism, ableism) of the world, to take on the hate with love, to confront the violence with actions of active peace. We may not be the heroes. But we are called to do our part anyway, and to be the supporting characters that will make a difference for those we will identify as heroes.
When you feel yourself acting as a supporting character in someone else's drama, I hope you can remember that some of us recognize you for the true heroes that you are. We see that it is with your courage and strength that others can claim the title of "hero." We see. We honor you. We are grateful for all you do. We do not underestimate your burden and challenges. Your name may not be up in lights. But we know you are there. Thank you for your supporting roles, without which the stories, the healing, the growth would never happen, and could never be told.
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