Imagine that you are 9-years-old and your biggest hero helps save lives. They risk their own lives every time they step out that front door. It is dangerous and yet at the end of the day, when they get home and every tendon in their body is yelling at them, it is worth it to know they saved a life that day.

Many of you are probably thinking of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman or another superhero, but I think of my father. He is my biggest hero and number one supporter. He is my constant reminder to always strive for success and never take less than what I am worth. Growing up I started noticing these odd things about him though. Always watching the people around us, reminding us to pick up the pace when we’re loading groceries in the car, instilling in us to never go anywhere by ourselves and insisting on sitting on the side of the table that would give him the best view of the door.

One day it hit me -- he was doing all of these little things to make sure my family and I were safe. What they don’t tell you about becoming a police officer is that you take your work home with you, it isn’t just something you can leave back at the office for the next day. These feelings and emotions come home with you. They follow around our officers in their hearts, minds and remind them every time they move and those sore muscles ignite with pain.

I wrote this article to say to all police officers: I see you. I actually see you for who you are, a mother, father, son, daughter, a friend, someone who is loved and loves others. I know how social media makes you out to be, sometimes, when they use the terms, “police brutality” and treat them like candy at Halloween. Throwing it into every headline that they can weasel it into. Readers see “excessive force,” but I see an individual who has a split-second decision to make on whether it is them or the suspect who gets to go home that night and hug their family. I see you working off-duty at the mall, hoping that the extra money will give you a chance to get ahead with paying the bills.

I want you to know, I see how tired you are when we make eye contact in passing. I hope you know that when I smile and say, “Have a blessed day,” I truly mean it. I pray that you are blessed with the ability to go home at the end of your shift and see the ones you care about so deeply, that when you lay down at night you get the best sleep so you may feel refreshed in the morning. I pray for peace and I pray for you. Every night when I go to bed, I pray for my family’s safety and you can bet that my family in blue is always included in that.

So when I see you on the street, at the mall or at the scene of an accident trying to save a life, you may not know me and I may not know you, but I keep you in my prayers and I most definitely will always have your back in a time of crises.

I will always stand true with the men and women in blue.