I've had a hard time with this post.. it needs to be said, but it's so hard. Let's start from the beginning...
I had a communications class 3 years ago, where we got put into groups for our service projects. There was this kid that sat behind me, always said Yes Sir, Yes Ma'am, very polite - a big, gentle giant. Love him. We had an instant bond when we realized he served his mission with my best friend from high school. In this same class I met Adam. As most of you know, Adam and I didn't start out with a fairytale relationship. Adam and I broke up halfway through the semester. I was working with my group one day when this sweet friend of mine said "Oh! We saw Adam at the movie the other night", and I replied, "Yeah, he said he was going with a bunch of friends" "uh... I think it was a date". Regardless of the fact that we were no longer dating, I was angry. I got mad at Adam for lying. Adam then confronted my friend during our next class, something about guy code. Anyway, Adam and I started dating again {eventually} and we doubled with this friend and his wife. The last time we were able to get together with them we went to their house for dinner. They were babysitting his brothers little girls. We played soccer in the house, watched princess movies, and ate a delicious dinner while talking about how his brother loved being on the force and Adam loving it as well. We got caught up in life and hadn't been able to keep in touch as well as we had liked until.... January 4th. After hearing about the shootings, I got online to read about it, and saw something that immediately broke my heart. A picture of a man, looking just like Travis, I knew then that my friends brother was that brave officer that sacrificed his life. That morning Adam said to me, "we should call Travis and Jess and see how they are doing." We should have made that call but didn't... and now that question seemed unnecessary.
I took the day off work and went to the funeral with Adam and his department. This was by far the most emotional, moving, and inspirational funeral I think I have attended. The amount of people that were there to support him, his family, and officers around the world was unreal. Officers from all over Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Idaho, Illinois, etc were to there to support their fellow brother. While arriving at the funeral a man stood outside his car on the corner, soluting the officers as they arrived, his eyes full of tears. I, of course, starting crying from that point on. After the funeral was over we got in the car and it took us an hour and a half to move roughly 5 feet in the parking lot. When we finally got to the street, this is what it looked like.
Roads were blocked off to allow for Law Enforcement to travel in one continuous line. Hundreds, if not thousands of people lined the roads. Hands on there hearts, holding flags, and most of them crying.
I am usually giving Adam a hard time about the lack of pay and the danger he puts himself in. I struggle knowing he makes the same wages as the lawn maintenance workers. I struggle knowing his life is on the line day in and day out. This funeral put everything into prospective for me. He doesn't do this for the money, or the authority, to have power, or to "ruin" peoples day. He does this because it's a brotherhood. He does this because he is willing and able to. And he does this, so that others don't have to...
There is something special about law enforcment, firefighters, military and the like. They share a bond that I don't think anyone will ever fully understand unless they are directly involved.
Jared Francom, Kasey Burrell, Michael Rounkles, Shawn Grogan, Nate Hutchinson, and Jason Vanderwarf, forever Heroes.
