I couldn’t possibly fit the all of the qualities my hero Dee has on one page, and will most likely have another “Even More About My Hero Dee” page up soon but I’d like to get off as much off of my chest and out of my heart as possible and so I’d like to continue on…let’s start with a more light quality, but a very important one

Humor, one of the best qualities in any human being is a strong sense of humor. Dee with all her blessings, is a human being also, a very sensitive one; which is beautiful within itself, as it shows the ability to truly care, and despite knowing the often horrid circumstances in the world, the tragedies we see on the news daily, and unwarranted personal circumstances, has been able to keep a very sharp wit, and great sense of humor. Laughter is the best medicine, and being able to laugh at yourself, and find humor in the small things in life is something I admire most about Dee. One of my favorite things about spending time together is watching Dee enjoy herself, and laugh at the simple things in life. Dee’s love, like any Saint, extends to the innocence and beauty of children, and I cannot count the number of times we’ve spent carousing around on YouTube simply watching hilarious little kids being themselves, and letting the love of the whole universe shine through them. I know my Hero loves this because it represents the purity and innocence of youth, those untainted by the cold and cynical hearts which flood the “real world”. I think Dee’s all time favorite YouTube video is the “Baby Pizza” clip, in which two little girls are having a very serious confrontation about a certain pizza being “baby pizza”. The end result is that after some serious reminding from one little girl to another that the pizza she is eating is “baby pizza”, the other girl genuinely says “I’m sorry” and then the first girl says “I want to give you a hug”. The hugging commences and the problem is resolved seconds after it has started. Why I think this is so significant for Dee is because it shows the true beauty of human beings, and their ability to love, and we need to be reminded of this sometimes.

Compassion, this is a quality that truly underlies all of the other qualities in my Hero’s repertoire. Dee has one of the most intuitive senses of the grief, hurt, sorrow, sadness, sickness, and pain in others. Dee’s inherit need to alleviate the suffering of others is one of her greatest blessings and assets. This goes beyond what is commonly referred to as “women’s intuition”, and has a deep seeded root in connection with her intimate knowledge of her own heart, love, and ultimately the universe. This is without a doubt, one of the main reasons she strives above and beyond any normal persons call of duty, no matter the personal cost, to selflessly attempt to alleviate the suffering of those around her. Dee would notice me at family parties, putting on my best poker face to not act horrified, and so uncomfortable in my skin I could only socialize for a few minutes before I had to retreat to the security of my room. Suffering from terrible, life debilitating anxiety and panic attacks. Dee was the only one, who not only recognized this in me, but diligently set out on a mission to get me the appropriate help that I needed. She spent countless hours of her valuable time with me, helping me research Psychiatrists and Doctors, aiding me with finances in order to procure the proper treatment that I could not afford myself. She would take me by the hand and often have me follow her to these Psychiatrist appointments in order to make sure I knew I had the full and loving support of my savior, and reassure me everything was ok. Dee’s compassion knows absolutely no boundaries, and has been infinitely patient in “baby stepping” me into the real world. She treads the water with me and when I’m frightened to death, or don’t think think I can push any further than what I am doing, she tests the water for me and reassures me that I can do this. This gift from my hero has not only given me the self believe that I can achieve whatever dreams I set out to accomplish, but has sealed a permanent place in my heart. Dee’s compassion has saved my life countless times and she continues to do so on a daily basis, what makes me so happy about her compassion is that it is contagious, and I am proud to say that I will devout my life to ensuring that when Dee comes across hard times, I will have the honor of being the strong shoulder to cry on, the one who can give back the Saintly compassion I have learned from her, and make sure when she begins to age, and things begin to fall apart, I will be at her side every step of the way, making sure she receives the best care, the most love, and quality company she deserves.

Open Mindedness and Truly Listens– So often in life, we come across those who believe that they have everything thoroughly figured out, will pretend to care what you are speaking about, smile and nod as you speak your piece, and then finally blurt out what they were going to respond with anyways, despite what you were trying to convey to them. These people are commonly referred to as those who do not listen, but simply wait to speak. One of the most admiral qualities in my personal hero is that she opens up a communication pathway with me and actually listens to what I have to say. Despite my incessant ramblings and rantings on Quantum Physics, spirituality, conspiracy theories on those who actually control the world, Dee sits with a stoic type vigilance, and an open mind to receive the messages that I’m attempting to sort out in my own mind. Her blessing is that she is willing to entertain new concepts, not place judgements on them, and give valuable feedback, which is the psychological definition of the highest order of intelligence and wisdom. My greatest wish for my hero is that she knows in her heart, whenever she speaks to me, I listen with an open mind and open heart as well, and wish to ascertain as much of her intelligence and wisdom as possible. I have honestly learned more from my hero in the short few months that I have had the luxury of spending time with her, and her intelligence and wisdom has enriched my life beyond any material thing I could think of.

Tolerance and Patience, I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d encounter someone with all the blessings I have already described for my hero Dee. Everything I have said has come directly from my heart and admiration for this unsung hero. Two of the most beautiful and unwavering qualities she possesses are in fact tolerance and patience. What I deeply respect about Dee’s tolerance is that she doesn’t care what a person’s race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or cultural background, creed, or past is, as long as they treat her the way they wish to be treated. This is a golden rule, not just in Catholicism, but found in almost every major religion, and both Eastern and Western Philosophy. Dee’s heart is an open book, which she wears on her sleeve, and my hero is willing to tolerate and understand anybody’s circumstance and situation because of her kind and gentle nature. Along with this virtue, comes another which is patience. Patience is the heart’s understanding that we are all at different levels of our shared life’s journey, and deep in people’s core they want to do good and better themselves, but sometimes they do not have the right tool set or understanding of how. My hero has taught me many invaluable lessons pertaining to people who may not have a fully equipped tool set to understand how to deal with their own emotions and feelings. I for so long would cover up or mask my fears, and inadequacies, with substances and isolation, and I thank my Hero every day in my daily meditations for the guidance, patience, tolerance, and tool set she has so freely given to me. Her patience, tolerance, and gentleness with me has allowed me to cultivate my own tool set, and more importantly be able to practice working through the “not so fun” parts of life on a daily basis.

I love you Dee, more than any human has loved another, You truly are my inspiration, salvation, hero, and many other things words simply cannot describe

(More to come in the About My Hero Section with Dee’s Permission)