“It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped.  Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance”.  Robert F Kennedy

Standing for an ideal.

Acting to improve the lot of others.

Striking out against injustice.

Our Blue family knows how to do these things very well.  The Thin Blue Line leads the way each day in causing ripples that are building a current.

‘ In valor there is hope’

Our Blue Family often uses this quote from an ancient Roman historian.  It’s included on this print that I ordered from the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund.

I think Robert Kennedy’s quote helps to explain where this hope comes from.  It comes from each act that is done to improve the lot of others.  Hope is built on each instance when someone strikes out against injustice.  A new spark of hope is lit every time someone stands up for an ideal or the truth.

Our Law Enforcement Officers know how this feels.  Davey knew very well how this felt – he committed his life to it.  And the David Glasser Foundation is continuing the work he began.

In valor there is hope.

And that hope is created by thousands of ripples made by you and by me every day which builds into a current that can change the world.

Be a ripple.

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Becoming a person of good character and honor and integrity begins very early.

Becoming a person who knows right from wrong and choosing to do what is right begins when our babies start sitting up by themselves and moving around by themselves.  Learning how to hold themselves accountable for their own actions starts this early as well.

Becoming a person who respects others and is respectable starts before they are 2 when they learn to take care of other kid’s toys and not to smear their dirty hands all over everything.

Becoming a person who commits their life to being part of the solution, not part of the problem, in our community begins when they are a tiny tot who learns how to share their favorite toys – putting other people before themselves.

It begins very early.

What might be kind of cute when a 2 year-old  does it becomes obnoxious in a 6 year-old, leads to problems when a 12 year-old does it and jail-time when a 16 year old does it.  The wrong path also starts very early.

My son, David Glasser, was a Phoenix Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty on May 18, 2016.  He was a man of good character, honor, integrity and respect.  He knew right from wrong and he committed his life to being one of the good guys – part of the solution, not part of the problem.

All of that started when he was a little guy, learning how to walk.  It didn’t start when he went to school, it didn’t start when he went to college or when he became a police officer.  It started before he learned to talk.

Have you read the story of Balaam’s talking donkey in the Bible?  It was one of Davey’s favorite stories (along with David and Goliath for obvious reasons).  As he got older, we had such great discussions about why the donkey could see the angel of God but Balaam couldn’t.  And then God made the donkey talk!  How can God make a donkey talk?  It’s not a problem for the Creator of the Universe.  Davey’s faith and understanding of the truth was formed through children’s Bible stories.  God fed his mind and soul while we fed his growing body.

The children’s stories are great and the adult stories are even better.  The Bible is full of examples of men and women who fought for justice and led the way for others.  It also has great examples of men and women who realized they messed up and how they got right with God and those they hurt.

It takes a village to raise a child

Have you heard that it takes a village to raise a child?  It’s been true in my life.  And, as parents, we have to make a decision about which village is going to help raise our child.  Are we going to let our children be primarily influenced by our neighborhood?   No way would we have chosen our neighborhood – there was a significant lack of character and respect in many of the families who lived around us when our children were small.

And we couldn’t choose our family as their village since we had no family living in the area except for my mother who came here every winter.   Grandparents can be a very important part of a child’s village if they live close.

For us, the members of our church became our family and our children’s village.  It was a place where they were loved and taught the truth.  It was a place where they were nurtured and cared for by people other than ourselves.  Some of their best friends were at church.  Davey met Kristen at church camp when they were 10 years-old.

We need to pick our villages carefully.

Because the right path – or the wrong path – begins very early.

#8144loveyou

I have trouble going into a police station.

Because I find myself looking for him.

My son, David Glasser, was a Phoenix Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty May 19, 2016.  And whenever I get around a group of people wearing police uniforms, I get distracted.  I start looking over the crowd for him.

He was 6’5″ so his head would pop out of any crowd.  He was very easy to find.

He used to be very easy to find.

Now I look but I can’t find him.

My head knows that Davey is with his Father God.   He is not at the police station.  He is not at the cemetery.  He’s not on this earth anymore.  My head knows that.

But my heart is still looking for him.  There’s a piece of my heart that he owns – he will always own this piece.  It’s his.

And when something in my life pokes this spot, tears run out.

But this piece is also full of love and great memories.  Its filled with laughter and good times.    Its full of pride for the little boy who was a good friend and had a ton of friends.  And that pride grew as Davey became a man who was a good friend and had a ton of friends.

This part of my heart is also filled with peace because Davey was a man of genuine faith who fulfilled his purpose here on earth before going home.

This piece of my heart is full of gratitude to my Father God for giving us 34 years with Davey.   They were years filled with family and fun and adventures.  We didn’t put off to tomorrow what we could do today – so happy about that.  His father and I were able to become especially close to Davey and his family his last 5 years on earth when we moved closer to them.  We didn’t know then how short our time was with him but we know it now and we are soooooo thankful for those precious years.

We moved recently so, on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, we bought several dozen of the Thin Blue Line Donuts and brought them to the police precinct closest to our new home.  We introduced ourselves to police officers in our new precinct and, of course, they offered any help we may need.

As we talked, I realized that my eyes were starting to wander.

They were gazing over the heads of the police officers I was talking to.

They were looking for a head that always stuck out of every crowd.

#8144loveyou

Its been 20 months since my son, David Glasser, a Phoenix Police Officer, was killed in the line of duty.

20 very tough months.

Sometimes it feels like 20 years and other times it feels like 20 days.

One of the things that sticks out of the fog of grief and heartache and trials that has followed his death is the outpouring of love and support we have received from so many people – people we know and others that we have never met.  Some pretty big and amazing things have come our way along with a lot of small things which have come at just the right moment.

The amount of support itself has carried us through some very dark valleys and its great to know that its continuing because I know there are more dark periods ahead.  It is truly awesome how each person or group has given us a piece of their heart and it all adds up to a huge mountain of support and love.

It all matters.

Recently, Kristen asked me if I wanted the sign in this picture.  It had been at the memorial site in Laveen close to where Davey was killed.   I’ve seen pictures of the memorial but I missed seeing it in person because, by the time I got out there, it was all cleared away.  So, yes, I wanted this sign.   I mounted it on a wall in my garage along with some of the other outside memorial items I have been given and I park my car in front of it.

I had never seen what was written on the back until now.    “Your family is in our prayers.” If you know Veronica Montenieri, please tell her I see this sign several times a day and it reminds me of  the crowds of people who have prayed for us and are continuing to pray for us.  It reminds me that my Father God is in control and he loves us and he wants the best for us.  It reminds me that the Thin Blue Line is committed to serve and protect all lives.

All lives matter.

And each show of love and care and support matters.  All of you have done a great job and its continuing.

This experience has taught me what can happen if each of us does what we can.  There are very few of us who can hand someone who just experienced a tragedy a 6-figure check but all of us can do something to show our support and love.  Veronica made a sign for Davey’s memorial in her neighborhood and this sign blesses me every day.

Thank you, Veronica.

Thank you to each and every one of you for all of your prayers and love and support.

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