I could never have imagined.

When my son, David Glasser, who was a Phoenix Police Officer, was killed in the line of duty, I had no idea what it meant to be a part of the Blue Family.  Davey was good at not talking ‘shop’ when he was off duty.  I had met most of his squad members and their wives because Davey and Kristen would regularly invite them over to their house for fight night and some poker.  He would invite his dad and I, too, so we got to know his cop friends.

I knew they were a good bunch of people but I never understood how really great our Blue Family is………until the day.

It was a Wednesday afternoon when Kristen called me as I drove home from work.  She was crying and told me Davey had been shot.   I immediately started shaking and had trouble comprehending what she was saying.  Byrd, Davey’s best friend on his squad, took over the call and realized I wasn’t far from the hospital.  So he told me to drive to the hospital, pull into the emergency area, tell the first police officer I saw who I was and give them my car keys.  They would take me upstairs.

I had to focus really hard as I drove to the hospital because a million thoughts were swirling through my head.  I didn’t have any trouble finding a police officer as I pulled into the emergency driveway – the roads around the hospital were already lined with police vehicles and there were police officers everywhere.  They were expecting me so I handed over my keys and someone took me upstairs.

I did not know at that time that I was actually being taken right into the center of the Blue Family.  Significant things in my life had already started changing – I would never be the same.  There was a lot of pain and grief ahead.  But there was also a whole new crowd of great people in my Blue Family who were going to enter my world.

I didn’t know then that I was going to meet hundreds of police officers who would all say these kinds of things:

‘Let me know if you ever need anything.’

“I’m always here for you.”

“Never forget that I’m here to help – let me give you my cell number.’

‘Just let me know whenever I can help.”

Yesterday, the David Glasser Foundation had our 2018 Shop with a Cop event.  Over 50 police officers volunteered to shop in Target with kids from a high-risk area of Phoenix to help them pick out gifts for their entire family for Christmas.  Several of these officers came straight over to the event from their night shift.  When I thanked them for coming, they thanked me in return for giving them a chance to be part of this fun event and part of what the David Glasser Foundation is doing.  And they said things like,

“Let me know if you ever need anything.  I’m here for you.”

“Please let me know when you need more volunteers.  I’ll be here.  Here’s my number.”

This is our Thin Blue Line.  People who care and are willing to go a lot of extra miles to prove it.  People who work hard at making a difference.  People who remember.  People who want to help honor Davey by continuing the work he started.

We had just as many civilian volunteers at the event helping kids get signed in, wrapping gifts, serving Peter Piper Pizza and taking pictures with Santa.  This is our Blue Family – it includes all those who love and support the Thin Blue Line.

After the Shop with a Cop event, my family participated in the annual COPS (Concerns of Police Survivors) Christmas party.  It was great food and great fun but the most significant thing to me was seeing this very large room filled with people. Yes, we had survived.  Our lives had all been changed by a line of duty death.  In spite of our differences, we had a lot in common.  And – once again – we were being supported by our Blue Family through COPS.

Three years ago I didn’t know very much about my Blue Family.

Now I can’t imagine going through these last 2 1/2 years without them.

Love you, Blue Family!

Miss you, Davey.

#8144loveyou