To The Men And Women In Blue

On Wednesday morning I woke up in my dorm room to texts from my parents saying that two police officers from my hometown in Des Moines were murdered earlier that morning. As I woke my roommate (whose dad is a Des Moines police officer) in a panic, not knowing the name's of the two men killed, the thought entered my brain, what if it was him?

As I sit here while writing this, heartbroken for the friends and families of the innocent men murdered, I can't help but want to say "thank you" to all the brave men and women who willingly put their lives on the line every single day to protect the rest of us.

So, to the men and women in blue, thank you. Thank you for responding to even the smallest of calls, thank you for working through the night, thank you for sacrificing time to get to see your family and thank you for risking your life every single day.

And to the daughters, sons, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers and siblings of the men and women in uniform, thank you. Thank you for having the courage to send off the people who mean the most to you in the world every morning, knowing that could be the last time you hug them goodbye. Thank you for being brave enough to say goodbye so I don't have to.

Lastly, to Sgt. Beminio and Officer Martin, thank you for being willing to do what most people aren't. Rest in peace.