As we swing into this year’s holiday season, we wish you a reaffirming sense of inner peace. We can all use it these days. But because even the most independent among us can sometimes use a helping hand, we also wish for you the grace that comes from accepting assistance from others.

In a world that sometimes seems intent on grinding us down, who have been your life’s heroes?

For many of us, it may be our parents. Jane Goodall once described how her mother helped her realize her now legendary career as a primatologist:

“At age 10, I read Edgar Rice Burroughs’s ‘Tarzan of the Apes’ and resolved that I would go to Africa, live with wild animals and write books about them. … Almost everyone laughed at me. … World War II was raging. And I was just a girl. ‘Dream about something you can achieve,’ they said. But I was fortunate to have a supportive mother who told me, ‘You will have to work hard, take advantage of opportunities, and if you never give up you may find a way.’”

We can also be inspired by global leaders. When Putin first invaded Ukraine, imagine how different things might have been had Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fled the country, instead of reportedly insisting, “I need ammunition, not a ride.”

Behold, the strength of balancing self-determination with the wisdom of accepting aid from our allies.

How would you fill in these blanks in your life:

Were it not for [WHO], I would never have [WHAT]!

Perhaps your heroes have been friends or family. Or maybe they’ve been far-flung acquaintances who happened to cross your path at a pivotal time.

Regardless, as you contemplate this year’s holiday giving, why not send your greatest heroes a gift of gratitude?

Because heroes are vulnerable too. Just like you and me, they have days when they may question their worth. Sometimes, simply telling someone how much they’ve meant to you can turn the tides in their life. Or at least make their day.

With abundant gratitude, we wish you and yours the warmest of holiday seasons.