Almost every morning, I wake up to the sounds of heavy work boots desperately trying to tip toe up the stairs, velcro being ripped from a work belt, and keys and handcuffs clanking and jingling about. If you live in a police family, you know that this means a police officer just came home after a long shift at work. For most people, this noise might be thought of as a nuisance or maybe even annoying, but for me, these sounds mean that my dad is back home and safe.
Most people take the officers they see out and about for granted, but when you live with one, you learn to appreciate every single thing that they do to protect others. My Dad is someone who protects me, loves me and has my back no matter what. But, what is incredible about him is that he does the exact same thing for total strangers. When a call comes to him over his radio, asking him to help a person in need, my dad drops everything he is doing in the moment and comes running.
Sometimes, this means he even has to run towards some of the most dangerous situations. But, he does this willingly over and over again without hesitation. Every day he puts on his uniform, hops into his police car with our police dog by his side and says goodbye to his family.
He willingly puts himself in danger.
He does not just do it for a paycheck, but because he wants to keep his community and those he loves safe. It is the endless sacrifices and acts of courage like this that my dad and all of the other police officers demonstrate that make them true heroes.
Being the daughter of a police officer is not easy. It is watching your sleep-deprived dad taking you to where you need to be after busy night shift. It is trying to sleep in your warm bed, feeling guilty that while you are sleeping, your Dad is wide awake and out in the cold or rain, doing his best to keep others safe.
Being the daughter of a police officer means not always having your dad with you on Christmas day or at a school or sporting event. Imagine turning on the news just to find out that another police officer, just trying to do his job, has been shot. You cannot help but to think, "That could have been Dad." Even though being the family member of a police officer is not always easy, I would not want it any other way.
When I see my Dad all dressed up in his uniform, ready to start another day of work I cannot help but feel proud. When my Dad is featured in the newspaper for his acts of bravery, I get to tell others, "That's my Dad."
I am proud to tell others that my father is a superhero who does not wear a cape on his back, but instead, a badge on his chest.
It breaks my heart when I hear people expressing their hate towards police officers because to me, they are my family. They are selfless people that go rushing without hesitation towards danger when others would turn and run away. They are the ones that sacrifice time with their families and life at home to go out and protect people they have never met before. They are the ones who stay up consecutive nights to keep us safe while we sleep in our beds.
My Dad is a part of this group of individuals and I cannot express my gratitude enough to him and all of the other men and women who keep their communities safe.
