Thank you…

First of all, let me say these are my thoughts and they may not fit everyone working in the public safety world. 

Those of us who are veterans or may still be on active duty (and) those who have worked or are working in the public safety world sometimes forget how difficult it is to be close to us. Our families and our friends watch what the media puts forward, but they don’t understand the stress and anxiety that comes with the job. We try to hide the bad and sometimes discuss the good things we see and do. Unfortunately, there is more bad than good.  

During this trip, I’ve had the opportunity to listen to my son and he has provided me with some insight that opened my eyes to how those close to us see the profession. I’ll share some of those as we travel across the country thanking those individuals still working in both careers. Maybe it will provide some insight, so they can stay “whole” as they serve our country and our communities. 

I’ll start with a conversation my son and I had about saying “Goodbye.”

My son asked me if I knew the difference between him telling me “goodbye” and other kids telling their dads goodbye as they went to work. I wasn’t sure and asked him what the difference was… His response was…

When “normal” kids tell their parents goodbye, they expected them to return from their jobs at the end of the day. They never consider their mom or dad being injured or harmed in any way. When my son told me goodbye, he was saying goodbye forever… Just in case I was killed in the line of duty and never returned home. He told me the “goodbye” other kids said to their parents was temporary, while the one he told me was permanent…….. Wow!!!!