The characteristics of being a hero have been swirling over the minds of hopeless romantic teens that believe Prince Charming is waiting on their fire escape in the middle of a thunderstorm, or the people that are labeled as “senseless dreamers” and spend hours clashing action figures into each other without reconciliation of the outside world–because the pure fantasy of a hero, sidekick and fairytale is all the more fulfilling than the reality that not all heroes wear capes.

I have always been the hopeless romantic. The senseless dreamer, a small girl with tight blonde curls that could sit and talk to the wall for all she cared, anything beat silence; but nothing beat the bright and belligerent imagination stemmed in someone under five foot that couldn’t even tie her own shoes. I grew up alongside an imaginary friend, her curls loose and red, freckles far and wide, but she was just like me. She was my sidekick in the faulty superhero stories I created when I couldn’t sleep.

As I got older, my fantasies became smaller. The princess castle I used to reside in when I opened my eyes slowly began to droop, my pink dream journal became tattered and filled, without a page to spare. I can’t remember the last time I saw the redhead girl, nor did I know that would be the last time, but she remained the focal point in the peak of my imagination. She was open and understanding, a friendship that I was unable to match for the majority of my life, up until I walked into a program that changed my perception on life entirely.

It was a colder part in my life, or so I remember. Someone close to me had introduced this new idea of friendship, and I was quick to react in the excitement of joining a club that I knew little to nothing about. To say being apart of Sequoit Sidekicks is one of the most eye opening experiences of my life–that would be an understatement. It was walking into a room full of big smiles and bright ideas. It was high fives, learning names and giving hugs. The greatest part of it all; every single Sidekick, was their own hero.

The first thing I noticed in these kids was the resemblance to the small girl with red hair. It was immediate comfort, acceptance and happiness that oozed out of the room and it was almost overwhelming—but in a good way. Everyone wanted to be everyone’s friend, the hero to everyone’s sidekick and vice versa. I joined this program at the beginning of my sophomore year, and have made lifelong friends because of it. I got to watch and participate in different activities with the Sidekicks that have not only changed my life, but theirs as well. Watching the growth in the Sidekicks and the buddies, like myself, is mindblowing to see in just one year. The beauty within every single person apart of this program opened my eyes to the little things. How much I love pink sparkly barrettes because my favorite Sidekick wears them with her ponytail, how cool it is to watch someone play basketball in a wheelchair and how fast every single person in the gym shot out of their seats when they made a basket.

Being able to take into consideration the hardships that this program faces on a daily basis, and being able to put a spotlight on it in a positive way, was never something I wrote in my dream journal, but became a dream come true. I will always consider myself a Sidekick to these heroes who have utterly changed my perspective on life. Not all heroes wear capes, stand on your fire escape in the pouring rain, or have red curly hair, but the real heroes change your mindset, help you see clearer and all around make you a better person.