There is a song that says, “Every new beginning is some other beginning’s end.”  This was the season of new beginnings for me.  However, it was also the beginning of the end…the end of peace and life as I once knew it.

The police officer that came to our home, the Friday of the email, was very kind.  He advised us that once a call is made, they are obligated to do a health and welfare check on the children involved.  We explained the situation to him and let him know that we would like to tell the children that he was a friend of ours, and as a treat they could look inside his police car.  The officer was a former Marine and a single father, so he was happy to go along with our plan in order to make sure the boys were not frightened.  He shook John’s hand, told him to stay strong, and that he was proud of what he was doing.  He gave a quick Semper Fi and drove away.