Personal Essay About Riki Wyant, My Hero

The sky is blue; green lush trees frame the pond in which little ducklings cheap and splash the water with their small, feathered wings. Two friends sit and talk, one shares Psalm 27:10 with her friend. Her name is Riki Wyant, and she is my hero. A hero doesn’t have to be someone like Superman of Martin Luther King Jr. Riki, as both my youth group leader and friend, has taught me how just a few simple words and actions can positively impact so many lives. Her unconditional love, selflessness, and dedication is the sun in the thick of a storm, shining brightness on mine and so many other lives. Out of all the people I know, I can confidently say Riki is the most loving. No matter who the person or the circumstance, she will treat them with love. I remember one day, we were studying a book about God's love, Love Beyond Reason, and there was a
true story about a man named Al. He hadn’t known God until a short time before his death. So moved by the story, a smile glowed across her face as tears flowed freely from her hazel eyes. Both joyful that he had accepted God, but mournful that his life had ended. What does it mean to be loving? To love without reason. She had never met Al, yet she still loved him immensely. In hard times that people would normally abandon me during, her love has comforted and gotten me through it; staying by my side and not letting me feel alone. During a winter storm, her love is the hearth that protects and warms you. This love that Riki holds, is the same love she shows towards everyone she meets. Capturing why she is, without a doubt, the most loving person I know. Psalm 27:10- “Though your father and mother may forsake you, the Lord will receive you.” This is the first bible verse Riki showed me, and the first one I ever memorized.
It is about accepting God as your perfect father and though things may go wrong, God will take care of you. When Riki’s grandma passed away earlier this year, whom she was extremely close with, she remembered this. In times of pain and loss, God’s comfort guided her to be selfless. Although Riki had lost such an important person in her life she did not complain, even when her car broke down that same week. She tried to be glad her grandma was in in heaven where she could be happy and healthy again. Not only that, but she still made the effort to get to bible studies to teach people about God, be able to babysit for the adult ministry, go to her job, get to school, and still be there for her parents. Riki is selfless because she is relentless in improving others’ lives and in doing so, puts others before herself. Everyday, she makes sacrifices and decisions to help people and improve lives; everyday, she teaches me what it means, and takes, to be
selfless. “Friendship isn’t about whom you’ve known the longest. It’s about who came and never left your side.” Even though I’ve only known Riki for 10 months, she has been there for me ever since I met her. Riki, makes this quote a reality. This year, my life has been what I guess you could call a rollercoaster, however one night inparticular is ominously peeked above the rest. I remember calling Riki on the phone in tears, telling her about the fight my family had had. I knew that I could go to her because she is such a loyal and dedicated friend. She had never left or betrayed me before, and I knew that she never would. Riki drove from OSU campus at 9:00 p.m. to my house, just to comfort, talk to, and spend time with me. Cold drafts of wind blew through my backyard as we sat on an old, rickety bench. I don’t think I can ever fully put into words how grateful I am to have such an amazing, loyal, and dedicated friend. The world will forever be a cruel place, but it is the people in our lives who bring it brightness; these people are the heroes of the world. It doesn’t have to be someone who saves the world or sparks a movement, but someone who makes a positive difference. To me a hero is someone who is loving, selfless, and loyal; someone who shines brightness on people’s lives. Riki, to me you are a hero. You are the sun, in the thick of the storm.