This week for my Thankful Thursday posts I wanted to share my gratitude for the brave men and women in blue. Police Officers aren’t always appreciated. This year especially there has been a rise of hatred towards our police force. It really breaks my heart. Now I know there are some bad cops. There are men and women who abuse their position and are corrupt. And when we find those police officers they should be tried and punished for their crimes. And I am sure no one wants that to happen more than the good people who serve us. Bad cops are giving our officers a bad name. But it’s not really fair that we judge all officers by the actions of a few. Most of our police men and women are trying to do their best to keep our communities safe.
It has to be hard to be a police officer. I know I couldn’t do it. They work long hours away from their families. And because of the nature of their job they often work on the Sabbath and holidays. They have to miss family events, like pack meetings, dance recitals, and father & sons camp outs. And not only are they missing time with their families, they are also putting their lives at risk to keep us safe. I can’t imagine the stress that must put on our police force, or their spouses. They continue to risk their lives to protect the communities that sometimes treat them unkindly.
A couple of months ago I was teaching my church class of 8 year old’s. We were learning to appreciate those who serve us. I mentioned how we should be thankful for our military who keeps us safe. I also mentioned that we should show appreciation for our firemen and police men. I added especially our police men. Everyone is thankful for our firemen. My kids love getting tours or seeing their trucks when we drop off treats. And when we see firemen out shopping or picking up dinner, everyone treats them so kindly (to my knowledge anyway) I asked my class, “Who doesn’t love firemen?” And to my surprise one of my girls told me she didn’t. I was shocked. How could you not love firemen? Come to find out her dad is a police officer and she takes to heart their friendly competition. She was seriously cracking me up.
And we should show our love and respect to our brave fireman. And our family loves to take them treats. But we also like to remember our brave men and women in blue. Taking treats is just one of the many ways we can show our love and support. I know that if I was an officer I would appreciate someone in my community going out of their way to thank me. And there are lots of ways we can show support to our Police Force.
Ways to Show our Police Officers We Love Them
- Pray for them as families and in our personal prayers. We can pray to keep them safe.
- Talk about Law Enforcement in a positive way, even when we receive tickets. Our kids our watching and listening to how we treat others. We need to be good examples.
- Obey the law. We can show support by following the laws we have in place.
- Buy a license plate that supports Fallen Police Heroes. Giving monetary support can help families who have lost someone in the line of duty.
- Taking treats or cards to our local station.
- Smiling and thanking officers when we see them around our neighborhood.
- Expressing thanks when we meet the wives, mothers, or children of officers. These family members have to hold their own while their husband/fathers are doing their jobs. They need gratitude and support as well.
- Treating them with respect when we interact with them.
- Send cards to your local precinct when tragedy strikes.
- Hug a Police Officer! We stopped at a local event in San Diego when we saw their sign. They were giving away free hugs. It was great to show them we care. (I wouldn’t recommend hugging an officer unless you make your intent clear. )
I created this easy printable to help you thank the men and women in blue for all that they do. Just click below to receive your free printable. As a family, class, scout troop, or youth group you can print off these free printable and attach them to a treat. Drop it off at the police station with your family. Your treat can be homemade or store bought. It’s a little thing that can show our police officers that we love them and stand with them. If you live in a rougher neighborhood you might want to drop off store bought. I have had some suspicious police officers before.
Looking to Spread Some Love?
Click to get this free printable to support our Police Officers
And let your kids get in on the action. I had mine sign their name and help drop them off. This gives our kids a chance to show gratitude and learn to respect and appreciate the sacrifice of others. Our small actions can make the world a better place.
Thanks so much for reading! Be sure to check out other Thankful Thursday posts and follow along with us on Instagram. I will be sharing this recipe next week! You don’t forget to subscribe. And I would love it if you could pin this post to help spread the love to our men and women in blue!
Has your family done something to show some love to our police officers? Or do you have another suggestion on how we can support our men and women in blue? Share it with us in the comments below.
