It is often hardest to deal with tragedy when it either those in the middle unable to see it through or those to far away to help. The division that follows when a imperfect family model loses the glue that kept it.
It can be any family with many dynamics. Many cultures handle the dead different. But the emotions can often be the same, a funeral is still is a time for the living to say goodbye. We all say that goodbye differently.
That person whom we lost can mean little as they lived. Seem like any normal man. An amazing guy with the best Saturday BBQ. A peaceful man with a great big heart. In looking back at what they did with that life, shows just how much they meant.
This man was a veteran at a young age. He became many things after he was no longer in service. He helped many lives as a rescue crew, played a part in the air service and a major with law enforcement.
Those they left behind find many hidden stories that makes seem different. Sometimes there secerts that nobody wanted to find that are plated to them as the final testament is spoken to the rest of us.
I wish to tell the world a story that shook me. A real story about someone whom was my family's glue.
As already said, he was war veteran whom had many jobs over his lifetime including being a police officer.
We didn't know this story until his wake. This story came from a police buddy from those years ago.
They were on a normal route of any other day as police. There had been a radio call about a robbery in progress at a gas station. They were the frist unit on scene.
They went in together. The robber was still screaming at the shop tiller for money. The robber knew the two police came in and was even more agitated as the further they walked in.
In quick thinking, the police partner (the one telling us this story) asked my officer to radio for back up.
Not that I explained it yet, this was before a lot technology we take for granted. When phone booths were still a thing or body cameras. My officer had to go back to the car to radio in, as hand held radios were to chuck and expensive for the normal uniforms to keep at hand.
In the 30 seconds that he made that call for back up. The armed robber was confronted and had pulled out the large gun. Wild shots were fired. He had rushed back in, disarmed the robber.
He then stopped his partner from bleeding out. He saved his cop partners life.
Apparently the two had a hunch that this was an armed robbery, in spite of the lack of intelligence from frist call. The police buddy knew about children my officer had at home. Which was why he asked him to radio in.
While in the ambulance, they promised to see their children's wedding which was at the time meant waiting for the eldest daughter of 7 to grow up.
This story was a surprise to younger children and grandchildren. The eldest daughter had vague recollection of the night he came home from that. She would later on reflect on how it shook him. How scared he was that night when he came home. She still thinks about how that this story must have weighted his shoulders for all those years.
He never told us everything and I doubt that we will. He had many horrors crawling his closest. He really did take it to the grave with him.
The promise was forfill by the way. That police person came to a wedding. I remember that.
I hope to believe that his memory isn't forgotten. I miss him.
I hope that this is a warning to those whom hide your stories from those you love. Because you might have been someone else's unspoken hero.
Memory is what keeps them alive in our hearts. Give us a chance to make those memories count for something. Even if it were little to you.