Sorry I didn't post this sooner. I tore a muscle in my lower back. I have been laid up for over a week. I wish I could tell you I did it in some exciting way, perhaps in the throes of some heroic feat, during a daring white water rafting trip or something equally dramatic, but in reality, I did it while picking up a 50 pound bag of dog food. Sad.
The Memorial was really nice. What a huge turn out! I cannot believe how many different departments sent officers, it was impressive. I would guess over a thousand easy. I have added a few pictures and also another one of Ah-nold. The whole event was amazing. However, due to the fact that we knew one of the fallen, it was emotionally draining. I do have one negative thing to report about the memorial service and that is the choice of songs. When you are already missing your loved one hearing a song that has lyrics like, "I wear my grief like a heavy coat" and "I'll never see your smile again" and "I wonder what you would have named your babies" seem a little inappropriate. By the time they were done, I felt like jumping off a bridge. But that is a secular memorial for you. On Wednesday I went to a funeral for a Marine that was killed in action by a roadside bomb and it was a Christian service. The songs were uplifting, memories were shared and you left with a sense of hope. I prefer that way of remembering someone who dies. I digress. At the memorial it was soooooo sad to see some of the families. There was one family with 3 daughters ages 10-18 (East Palo Alto PD) and you can't help but think: none of them will be walked down the aisle at their weddings by their daddy. There was the young widow with a 7 month old (LA Sheriff, I think) and the one that really got me was the widow with the toddler boys with blond spiked hair just like my Little Man. The spouse of one of the SFPD officers murdered (they lost 2 this year) was there and it was so sad. She was spotless in her SFPD dress uniform; she was not just a cop's wife but a fellow officer as well. OK, I am going to leave this topic and move onto a new one. Wait til you see my next post. I can't wait for you to see the pics I got my hands on! Til later!
