“It’s not enough what I did in the past — there is also the future.” Dr. Rita Levi-Montalcini, commented when asked continuing her work as a pioneering neurologist at 100 years old. I was struck by her matter-of-fact attitude, that a life’s work doesn’t have a “done” point. The tendency to rest on our laurels can be tempting for anyone–yet, Dr. Levi-Montalcini didn’t seem to be influenced by such a human affectation. While its easy to see individuals like Dr. Levi-Montalcini, and place her on a pedestal of extraordinary human beings, who are the ordinary people we see around us everyday, who do more than we think possible? Our parents? Teachers? Priests? Friends? An aunt who battled breast cancer? A celebrity? When we stop for even a moment, we can see the people around us who continue moving forward no matter what. They are the “heroes” we can become, or maybe already are becoming, in our own ways.
