“Today, an older woman entered my gas station and gave me three dollars in loose change to put towards her gas. A police officer, who happened to be standing behind her, overheard the amount and noticed she was using a cane and having trouble walking back to her car. He went outside and told her to stay in her car, offering to pump the gas for her. After a brief conversation, he realized she was in a difficult situation, with no gas and no money. The three dollars wouldn’t get her very far. He told her to wait, came inside, and paid an additional twenty dollars out of his own pocket. He then went back out and finished pumping the gas. She explained that her husband had recently died, and she was struggling to pay all their bills, falling behind each month. The twenty dollars was a significant help to her, as she would have likely run out of gas. These days, police officers face a lot of negativity and a lack of respect. We hear all the complaints and ‘bad’ stories. I’m not saying every officer is perfect; some undoubtedly make mistakes. We all do. However, we should respect, appreciate, and thank them for their service. It’s a difficult job to leave your family every day to ensure the safety of others. Consider this: who do you call when you’re in danger? Who runs towards danger while others run away? To all the men and women in blue, I sincerely thank you for your service!”