Why can't my boyfriend be more like Spider-Man?

Issue 4: "To Love a Hero"

Picture of Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker provided by comicbox.com

   
     "There will be days when you feel alone," said Gwen Stacy, the love of New York's superhero Spider-Man, in her valedictorian speech. "And that's when hope is needed most."
     As the other half of one's heart goes off to face impending doom, they do so much more than long for the two halves to be together again; they long for the safety of their love, but sadly, all they can do is sit back and hope.

     Peter Parker battles the low lives of New York City daily, and all Gwen can do is wait at a table for two she reserved earlier that day as Peter, yet again, runs late. Never knowing if the person you love is safe puts one in constant anguish and anxiety that cannot be eased.

     “No matter how buried it gets, or how lost you feel,” said Gwen. “You must promise me that you will hold on to hope. Keep it alive. We have to be greater than what we suffer.”

     While the existence of super humans may be doubted, heroes are not quite as uncommon as one might think. Right down the road from my house is a military base, and it is an understatement to call the men and women who fight for our country “heroes.” The sacrifices they make to serve our country go unmatched to any call of duty, and the danger they face causes anxiety similar to that of Gwen Stacy’s.

     Having someone whom you care about in the military is completely nerve racking. October of my junior year of high school, I hugged my best friend goodbye as he left for boot camp. 

     After he left, I found myself crying more frequently, constantly worried about my best friend, because my world now revolved around the thought of his safety. He treated his leaving like it was nothing, because he didn’t understand; having someone so sincere was indescribable due to past events. I completely dreaded considering that anything could ever happen to him, but I knew that he needed my undying support more than anything. Constantly thinking about how he was doing, I wrote letters almost every other day. Time passed, and some things changed; but what has never changed is that he is my person, and as he deploys to the Middle East in the upcoming year, I can only pray for him and pray that I myself don’t lose hope. 

     To love someone is to never forget, and to love a hero is to always keep praying. This has been my Daily Bagel.