some great answers here,parents, police, military, firefighters , doctors and nurses , i have total respect for all of them.
i had a friend who died of cancer in 2009, i'd known him most of my life we we're childhood friends.
He was a clever, friendly,popular kid, but a bit of a wimp (well i thought so at the time ) and i tended to look after him a little.He grew to be a clever, friendly ,popular man,married and had 2 kids who he worshiped , we remained good friends, met up for a drink sometimes and even holidayed together a couple of times.
in early 2009 he was diagnosed with cancer and i was worried how my""WIMPY"mate would deal with things............he fought and fought that terrible illness and never once gave up or felt sorry for himself,his only thoughts we're for his family and friends,i never saw him cry or feel that it wasn't fair
my friend had lived the life of a gentle placid man who didn't feel the need to prove himself to anyone, he died showing the kind of strength only someone like that can really have.
i still think of him often and wish i could have been like him, but the truth is i was never really as strong as my "wimpy" friend
i didn't realise until it was to late that he was my hero and probably always had been
Mike
P.S i need to write things like this down sometimes, that is my weakness, and weakness is probably the only thing my "wimpy" friend never had.