More Sadness

Lately it seems that all I've written about it sadness. Unfortunately, I guess sometimes in life we have periods where sadness seems to be everywhere. Right now is one of those times.

This past weekend one of our deputies died from a heart attack. While death in itself is sad this situation is particularly sad because our officer and Mike's friend was only 31 years old. He had only been married for 3 years and had recently had his first child, a baby boy not quite 6 months old. His funeral was held today. It was a beautiful cermony and I felt honored to stand among the 200+ police officers as they stood at attention and saluted him one last time. This time we did not ride in the procession. There were so many police cars in the procession that I was unable to count them all. Their blue lights flashing in rememberance of an officer and a friend. It was an amazing sight and one I'm sure he would have been proud to be a part of.

The service was beautiful. There were 3 different pastors that stood up and talked, one being Adrian's father-in-law. The key message in all of the sermons was that we never know our time and place to be called Home and that we have to live each minute as if it were our last. That after we are gone our actions and how we touched others will live on so we should make use of our time in a manner that reflects Christ's influence in our lives, that imitates Christ's love for us.

Any funeral is difficult, especially for those who were so close to the one who has passed but a funeral for a police officer is especially difficult for us to go to. There were many that we know who did not go to the service. I think that it is a huge reminder of the dangers that they each face every day. It just hits too close to home. I hated that those we know who didn't go didn't get to say their goodbyes but I also realize that they can say goodbye in a different, more private way. I don't fault them for not wanting to be there. It truly was difficult to be there.

We know the dangers of being a police family. I know that any day I could get a call saying that Mike has been injured or killed in the line of duty. You never expect though that your husband is going to die at 31 from a heart attack. It's unexpected and such a tradegy. We prepare ourselves (although we can never be fully prepared) to have an officer knock on our door to deliver the news that your husband has been hurt but you never expect that one day your young and healthy husband will die from something like this. It's unthinkable, unbelieveable and just completely heartbreaking.

Please keep this family and the our Sheriff's office family in your prayers. We have lost a wonderful officer, a tremendous asset to our community and a great friend.