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He Takes It

Below is a poem that was submitted to me via email. It touched me close to the heart.  Please pass this page on to everyone. Print it and pass it along. The poem about cops will make you stop and think. It would be nice if everyone who reads this follows the advice at the end.  Why not start with sending our very own Officer Angela and email! She works very hard for us. She takes her job very personally. She puts in effort and caring way above and beyond the call of duty!! Send an email to Officer Angela.

Officer Angela comes to a Grant Beach Neighborhood Cleanup and tosses a Frisbee to a neighborhood child. This clean-up Officer Angela was on duty. Normally at our neighborhood clean-ups Officer Angela is is jeans and right up in the dumpsters working elbow to elbow with the residents she protects. We LOVE you Officer Angela!!

First he takes ... the oath

Now look at what else he takes:

He takes .. it in stride when people call him pig.
He takes .. his lousy pay check realizing he'll never be rich.
He takes .. a second job sometimes to make ends meet and support his family.
He takes . time to stop and talk to children.
He takes . your verbal abuse while giving you a ticket you really deserved.

He takes ... on creeps you would be afraid to even look at.
He takes ... time away from his family to keep you safe.
He takes .. .your injured child to the hospital.
He takes ... the graveyard shift without complaint because it's his turn.

He takes .. his life into his hands daily.
He takes .. you home when your car breaks down.
He takes .. time to explain why both your headlights have to work.
He takes .. the job no one else wants -- telling you a loved one has died.

He takes .. criminals to jail.
He takes .. in sights that would make you cry.

Sometimes he cries too, but he takes it anyway because someone has to.

He takes ... memories to bed each night that you couldn't bear for even one day.
He takes .. time to explain to his family why he can't make the ball game his child is in and why he has to work on the holiday when other parents are off.

Sometimes ... he takes a bullet.

And yes, occasionally he may take a free cup of coffee.

 If he is lucky ... he takes retirement.

Then one day he pays for all he has taken .. and hopefully.., God takes him.

Written by Texas Police Officer Kendricks as a tribute to his late brother, Police Officer Rodney Kendricks who died from injuries suffered in an on-duty auto accident in Lubbock, Texas- July 2001.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Have you thanked a cop lately? Try it. When you see a cop in the supermarket, standing in line in a cafeteria, shopping at Wal-Mart, or anywhere else. Try it. It will make the cop's day. But, more importantly, HE HAS EARNED IT!!

The Grant Beach Neighborhood Betterment Association is a group of citizens working together to maintain and improve the quality of living in our area. We meet monthly on a regular basis to address neighborhood concerns, and encourage residents to start smaller neighborhood watch groups in their block. We believe that people should actively participate as citizens in a democracy and as neighbors in in a community. We are a group of citizens interested in working together to maintain and improve the living quality of our neighborhood, motivate the city to address our concerns, be a spawning ground for neighborhood watch programs and build a sense of community among us. Working together, there is little that cannot be done, working apart there is little that can be done.

Mission Statement: "Improving the quality of life in our neighborhood"

This website is simply a tool we use to help keep our neighbors connected to each other, to their neighborhood and to their City of Springfield, Missouri. Please consider attending the monthly meeting. Potluck Dinner for the whole family and Free child care for the meeting

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