Heroes Among Us is an inspirational book, written by John Quiñones, that is about different acts of heroism. John Quinones chose specific scenarios that best represented his opinion of heroism. This book was very interesting because it displayed random acts of heroism and bravery. Some of the heroes in this book encountered dangerous and fearful situations to help others in need. It takes true bravery to risk your life to help others. Not all heroes in the book risked their life for another; some individuals showed bravery just by showing an act of kindness. There are many heroes around us in the world; some heroes just stand out.
I enjoyed reading the book and the stories included. Many of the stories in the book were very inspirational. …show more content…
Estrada was the neighbor to Viola. According to the police report, it was reported that Estrada broke into the house, murdered Viola, stole her car keys and credit card, and set the house on fire. Although this story is tragic, Viola always told her children that no matter what, forgiveness was key. Her children knew that when she died, she would want them to forgive the murderer. "It 's like we heard her loud and clear, and she told us, 'Forgive, Don 't hate. I didn’t live the way I did for us to feel this way. '" (Quiñones p.84) Viola 's children forgave Estrada, denied the death penalty on him, and offered to pay for Estrada 's court fees (Quiñones, …show more content…
Forgiveness, as seen by most people, sounds simple and easy, but it has a deeper meaning. My favorite quote in this particular story is," '...forgiveness is a decision, not an emotion. '" (Quiñones p.87) I have always viewed forgiveness as a simple, "I 'm sorry", but after reading this story, I have undertaken a new meaning of forgiveness. My first reaction to reading the story was sorrow and anger. It never crossed my mind that the family would forgive and help the murderer. It takes a true hero to forgive someone that has done something so despicable. This is an inspirational story that shows that no matter what happens in life, it is important to forgive people. I think forgiveness is an issue in today 's society. Many people believe that in some situations, forgiveness is not even needed or questioned, and if forgiveness is thought of, it is crazy. In the story, many people believed that the Barrios family was crazy to forgive Estrada and help him financially with the murder case. Choosing not to forgive, internally, creates anger and despise. Holding negative emotions affects a person 's mind mentally and emotionally. Forgiveness releases anger that is not needed. The theme of Viola Barrios story is to forgive everyone and everything no matter how difficult the situation is. Not only does it help the person to forgive, but it also helps the other people to accept the forgiveness (Quiñones,
I enjoyed reading the book and the stories included. Many of the stories in the book were very inspirational. …show more content…
Estrada was the neighbor to Viola. According to the police report, it was reported that Estrada broke into the house, murdered Viola, stole her car keys and credit card, and set the house on fire. Although this story is tragic, Viola always told her children that no matter what, forgiveness was key. Her children knew that when she died, she would want them to forgive the murderer. "It 's like we heard her loud and clear, and she told us, 'Forgive, Don 't hate. I didn’t live the way I did for us to feel this way. '" (Quiñones p.84) Viola 's children forgave Estrada, denied the death penalty on him, and offered to pay for Estrada 's court fees (Quiñones, …show more content…
Forgiveness, as seen by most people, sounds simple and easy, but it has a deeper meaning. My favorite quote in this particular story is," '...forgiveness is a decision, not an emotion. '" (Quiñones p.87) I have always viewed forgiveness as a simple, "I 'm sorry", but after reading this story, I have undertaken a new meaning of forgiveness. My first reaction to reading the story was sorrow and anger. It never crossed my mind that the family would forgive and help the murderer. It takes a true hero to forgive someone that has done something so despicable. This is an inspirational story that shows that no matter what happens in life, it is important to forgive people. I think forgiveness is an issue in today 's society. Many people believe that in some situations, forgiveness is not even needed or questioned, and if forgiveness is thought of, it is crazy. In the story, many people believed that the Barrios family was crazy to forgive Estrada and help him financially with the murder case. Choosing not to forgive, internally, creates anger and despise. Holding negative emotions affects a person 's mind mentally and emotionally. Forgiveness releases anger that is not needed. The theme of Viola Barrios story is to forgive everyone and everything no matter how difficult the situation is. Not only does it help the person to forgive, but it also helps the other people to accept the forgiveness (Quiñones,