Coffee+Cops

I hail from a small rural town outside of Seattle.

Coffee is in my veins.

I love coffee.

It reminds me of my old home, the area I grew up...

I started working in coffee shops the summer before I turned 15.

My boyfriend's mom owned the coffee shop. It was so adorable and so is she.

Manitou Perk. She got the name from the coffee shop on 'Friends.' Her name is Nan. What a great woman.

Eventually I had to stop working there because of sports, school and a fizzled relationship. But, I will never forget that job, or the Tacoma police officers that sat at our counter every day for lunch. They were great, great men and women. In fact, when I got in my first car accident, several of them were the first to respond and it was nice to see a familiar face.

I started this post because I had a cup of coffee in my hand and it reminded me why I loved working in coffee shops through high school and college, but as I wrote the last paragraph, I reflected on those men and women who came in every day to eat and do their paperwork. We all felt a little safer with them at the counter...

And then I thought about the workers and patrons at Forza in Lakewood (just south of Tacoma) last Sunday. They probably felt a little safer with the police officers sitting at their favorite coffee shop.

My dad was a police officer for the city of Kent for nearly 30 years. He retired almost 9 years ago. My biggest brother Tait is a deputy sheriff for the largest county in the State of Washington. My dad's best friend is the chief of police in a small town in Eastern Washington. My sister in law's brother, Todd is an officer for Tacoma.

My dad went to work everyday... or night if he was working grave, and sometimes he was called to work on holidays or in the middle of the night, and most of the time (early on) he left in uniform. I didn't consider or maybe I didn't understand the risk he took as he walked out the front door everyday. It never crossed my mind that he might be enjoying a cup at Starbucks or Dunkin Doughnuts and be the target of someones hatred.

I am so thankful for my dad and his sacrifice and for my big brother, Tait and his call to serve, and I am so thankful that the Lord has protected them from serious injury and loss.

My heart is breaking and aching for the families who lost their parent's last Sunday, a day that probably started like any other day when their mom or dad left in uniform. A hug and a kiss, and an "I'll see you tonight." It hit so close to home.

So, here is a small but hopefully heard "thank you" to the men and women in uniform, and their families who truly risk their lives for our safety.