The following was written by Harlee Stafford and with his permission I've reposted it for all of you. (Thanks, Harlee.)
Fear Holds No Power Here
In memory of Barbara Pill
Fear holds no power here,
For She walked among us…
A beacon of what we should strive to be.
A guardian
for those unable to protect themselves.
A voice
for victims who struggled to be heard.
A shoulder
for those who needed to cry.
A pillar
for those in need of strength.
A guide
for those lost in life's wilderness.
A smile
for those wrestling with sadness.
Dedicated wife
Loving mother
Unconditional friend.
Her light stood against the darkness...
Irreplaceable...
Hearts broken,
Our tears fall.
The Devil trembles
As Saint Michael welcomes
A peerless warrior into his fold.
Fear holds no power here…
For she watches over us.
Our guardian...
Our sister...
Our friend.
By Harold "Harlee" Stafford
March 9, 2012
Friday, March 9, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
End of Watch
A silence fell across Brevard County, it spread across the country to reach as far as overseas. Cell phones rang, text messages chimed, and social media spread the news like wildfire as everyone panicked to find out if their loved one was okay. God called an angel home today.
A fellow deputy, veteran of 30 years in law enforcement, ran to the fight. She stood in the line of fire to protect and serve her community. Barb, I give my humble thanks to you for your service. You’re guidance and mentorship will be passed on to many future deputies. Your story will be retold a thousand times over of your heroism and sacrifice. There is no justice for the loss of a loved one. There are no words for the emotions those left behind will have to face. The one thing we all know is that God gave us a guardian angel today we will call by name. Deputy Sheriff Barbara Pill, end of watch March 6, 2012. God Bless.
Today, I had no words to give loved ones as the calls and messages poured in asking if I was okay other than ‘Yeah’. The comments left on my social media pages tugged at my heart as I saw the support from friends all over the world. The most surreal moment today was when my 13 year old son asked for me when I got home. He and I have a “butt heads and never see eye-to-eye” relationship.
I walked in his room where he was already tucked in bed. He looked at me and asked, “Was she a friend?” I replied, “Yeah. She was an awesome friend.” He sat up with open arms and gave me a big hug. I promised him I would be an old woman before I die and that I would be around a long time to stay on his butt about everything. Then he squeezed me a little tighter and said, “I love you, mom.” That moment made me realize the difference I make. My husband and boys are my strength, and my greatest weakness. I thank God for them.
For those who get upset with law enforcement when you get pulled over, they show up at your door because your neighbor complained about you, or you see cops sitting at a coffee shop and think of the stereotype, think about this:
On a daily basis we get called to the interstate for a reckless driver that turns into a deadly traffic crash; to an area where there was a 9-1-1 hangup with no other information only to find it was a wanted felon waiting to ambush us; to a domestic violence call where a kid beat up mom or mom beat a kid, where a guy beat his girlfriend to death in front of her kids; we get called to the scene where a child was sexually abused by a relative, then the next call is in a suburb where there’s a noise complaint from a neighbor. On a daily basis we arrive on scene with limited information and are expected to solve the publics’ problems in minutes that took them years to create.
On a daily basis we face the unknown dangers of a traffic stop, a 9-1-1 hangup, a fight in progress, a robbery or burglary, or a person with mental issues who went off their meds and isn’t law enforcement friendly. On a daily basis we go hours if not a full shift without eating or being able to stop and use a bathroom. We endure public ridicule at the cost of protecting their freedom of speech. On a daily basis we are moving targets for the bad guys who hunt us just as we hunt them.
Now think about this: At the end of shift, by the grace of God and our training, we go home. We sit down with loved ones who ask, “How was your day?” You don't tell them the bad. My reply, “Another busy day. How was yours?”
I ask only this of my friends and family, of my readers, of my critics: Think of your worst fear, multiply it by infinity, and look over your shoulder as you run away. You’ll see us running to face what you fear. It’s not about what we do, it’s about what we’re willing to do. Today, Barb reminded us of that.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120306/NEWS01/120306010/Veteran-Brevard-deputy-killed-Melbourne-fleeing-suspects-detained?odyssey=nav%7Chead
A fellow deputy, veteran of 30 years in law enforcement, ran to the fight. She stood in the line of fire to protect and serve her community. Barb, I give my humble thanks to you for your service. You’re guidance and mentorship will be passed on to many future deputies. Your story will be retold a thousand times over of your heroism and sacrifice. There is no justice for the loss of a loved one. There are no words for the emotions those left behind will have to face. The one thing we all know is that God gave us a guardian angel today we will call by name. Deputy Sheriff Barbara Pill, end of watch March 6, 2012. God Bless.
Today, I had no words to give loved ones as the calls and messages poured in asking if I was okay other than ‘Yeah’. The comments left on my social media pages tugged at my heart as I saw the support from friends all over the world. The most surreal moment today was when my 13 year old son asked for me when I got home. He and I have a “butt heads and never see eye-to-eye” relationship.
I walked in his room where he was already tucked in bed. He looked at me and asked, “Was she a friend?” I replied, “Yeah. She was an awesome friend.” He sat up with open arms and gave me a big hug. I promised him I would be an old woman before I die and that I would be around a long time to stay on his butt about everything. Then he squeezed me a little tighter and said, “I love you, mom.” That moment made me realize the difference I make. My husband and boys are my strength, and my greatest weakness. I thank God for them.
****
For those who get upset with law enforcement when you get pulled over, they show up at your door because your neighbor complained about you, or you see cops sitting at a coffee shop and think of the stereotype, think about this:
On a daily basis we get called to the interstate for a reckless driver that turns into a deadly traffic crash; to an area where there was a 9-1-1 hangup with no other information only to find it was a wanted felon waiting to ambush us; to a domestic violence call where a kid beat up mom or mom beat a kid, where a guy beat his girlfriend to death in front of her kids; we get called to the scene where a child was sexually abused by a relative, then the next call is in a suburb where there’s a noise complaint from a neighbor. On a daily basis we arrive on scene with limited information and are expected to solve the publics’ problems in minutes that took them years to create.
On a daily basis we face the unknown dangers of a traffic stop, a 9-1-1 hangup, a fight in progress, a robbery or burglary, or a person with mental issues who went off their meds and isn’t law enforcement friendly. On a daily basis we go hours if not a full shift without eating or being able to stop and use a bathroom. We endure public ridicule at the cost of protecting their freedom of speech. On a daily basis we are moving targets for the bad guys who hunt us just as we hunt them.
Now think about this: At the end of shift, by the grace of God and our training, we go home. We sit down with loved ones who ask, “How was your day?” You don't tell them the bad. My reply, “Another busy day. How was yours?”
I ask only this of my friends and family, of my readers, of my critics: Think of your worst fear, multiply it by infinity, and look over your shoulder as you run away. You’ll see us running to face what you fear. It’s not about what we do, it’s about what we’re willing to do. Today, Barb reminded us of that.
http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120306/NEWS01/120306010/Veteran-Brevard-deputy-killed-Melbourne-fleeing-suspects-detained?odyssey=nav%7Chead
Monday, February 6, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
The Next Round...
It's the first day of the new year and I'm a little saddened that it's over. Christmas, that is. I am sitting in my office / dining room looking around at the emptiness. Just a few hours ago it was full of Christmas warmth. The trees, yes multiple trees, are slowly being undecorated. Nothing left but the lights. A stack of bins sit near the garage door waiting to be stuffed back in the attic.
There's only one Christmas item that stays out all year. It started as a Christmas explosion one year before I had our second son. A neat little wire reindeer was placed on the kitchen plant shelf above the island and forgotten. At a mid-summer gathering a friend noticed it up there and we laughed. Again a few months later it was brought up in conversation. Then finally Christmas came around and we liked not having to climb up on a chair or ladder to get it. So we left it. Our Christmas Year Round Reindeer has been a part of our everyday lives for five years and counting.
Not a bad to start the next round. A tall glass of wine is now calling my name. Cheers and Happy New Year!
There's only one Christmas item that stays out all year. It started as a Christmas explosion one year before I had our second son. A neat little wire reindeer was placed on the kitchen plant shelf above the island and forgotten. At a mid-summer gathering a friend noticed it up there and we laughed. Again a few months later it was brought up in conversation. Then finally Christmas came around and we liked not having to climb up on a chair or ladder to get it. So we left it. Our Christmas Year Round Reindeer has been a part of our everyday lives for five years and counting.
This year started off in the wee morning hours with friends and a hilarious game of Catch Phrase, a few hours sleep with a morning cup of Cappuccino (Large!), a stroll through the gun show with a few toys brought home, then an afternoon of cleaning and re-organizing.
Friday, December 2, 2011
No Peeking!
I have a blast Christmas shopping for the boys. Even amongst the chaos and crowds, when I find that awesome gift for one of them it makes it worth it. The hard part is when I get that awesome gift home and can't find a place to hide it!
With Bammers' birthday just before Christmas I have double duty of hide and "remember where the hell I put them". The trouble with birthday Bam is that he's four this year and catching on to the hiding spots. Boys are so sneaky!
I tried the attic for some, but my oldest has been up and down from there helping us with Christmas decorations.
I tried hiding some under our bed...Fat Dougie wasn't too happy with the bag handle and pulled it out.
I tried hiding a couple in one of the NEVER USED CABINETS on the ginormous entertainment center. Wouldn't you know, hubs needed a cable--some random object--that happened to be in there.
So I've taken another rout this year. I'm hiding them in plain sight! Two gifts have been sitting out in the house for over a week now and the giftee has no clue! For our teenager I'm pretty sure I can hide his on his bedroom floor since you never see it anyway. I'm also thinking of hiding some in the dishwasher and behind the canned food and dry rice in the pantry. NONE of the fellas in this house would ever look there!
And let's face it, if all else fails I'll just put them in the closet and stick this happy little guy in front of the door:
Happy Holiday Gift Hiding!
With Bammers' birthday just before Christmas I have double duty of hide and "remember where the hell I put them". The trouble with birthday Bam is that he's four this year and catching on to the hiding spots. Boys are so sneaky!
I tried the attic for some, but my oldest has been up and down from there helping us with Christmas decorations.
I tried hiding some under our bed...Fat Dougie wasn't too happy with the bag handle and pulled it out.
I tried hiding a couple in one of the NEVER USED CABINETS on the ginormous entertainment center. Wouldn't you know, hubs needed a cable--some random object--that happened to be in there.
So I've taken another rout this year. I'm hiding them in plain sight! Two gifts have been sitting out in the house for over a week now and the giftee has no clue! For our teenager I'm pretty sure I can hide his on his bedroom floor since you never see it anyway. I'm also thinking of hiding some in the dishwasher and behind the canned food and dry rice in the pantry. NONE of the fellas in this house would ever look there!
And let's face it, if all else fails I'll just put them in the closet and stick this happy little guy in front of the door:
Happy Holiday Gift Hiding!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)