PAX Centurion - November / December 2014

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • November/December 2014 • Page 15 Be grateful always… By Mark A. Bruno W ith the holiday season upon us once again it is time to reflect on the past year and to look forward to the upcom- ing new year. I always teach my children never want for more and to be grateful for good health and good fortune. I am happy to be back from a brief hiatus and would like to thank those individu- als who helped me return. My parents, God rest their souls, always taught my siblings and I to be charitable and to think of others. We as police officers are blessed in a profession that does well in an up or down economy. We earn a decent wage and are able to provide for our families in many ways. We sometimes sacrifice time with our families in order to provide, but it is the family we live for. Putting our children through grammar school and college, and watching them grow up and get married and have children of their own is what we do. I am grateful to be in a job that helps provide this. I am grateful for good friends and coworkers who understand what friendship and loyalty is, like standing by those in need and helping them out in any way. There are many I would go to the wall for if they asked and this is what friends do. A friend reaches out to those in distress and listens to what may be troubling them. We sometimes don’t always see the signs of this distress until it is too late, but we are mindful none the less. We all understand the pressures that come with our profession. These pressures come from the job and sometimes from home. It is a delicate balance of emotions in which the pendulum of life swings. Not everyday is filled with lollipops and roses the way we would like it, but we balance the good days with the bad. We are after all human and our emotions sometimes get the better of us. I am grateful always to be anAmerican and living in this great country. I am grateful to all military men and women both past and present who have helped to provide the very freedoms my family and I enjoy. My prayers go out to the families of those in the military who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our great nation. I have had the honor to work beside many veterans who served inVietnam, Korea and the Middle East. Men like Jack Bolstad, John Dailey, Mike Dowd, John McClean, Jack Kacvinsky and Terry Burke to name just a few. Honor, loyalty, bravery and dignity are the words that come to mind when I think of these individuals. I have nothing but the utmost respect for these men of whom I’ve had the pleasure to work with. I am most grateful to God for blessing me with good health and for my three healthy children. I ask all my fellow officers as they enter malls and stores downtown to be charitable to those ringing the bells. There are those unfortunately that lack food, clothing and shelter and we need to be more mindful of this especially during the holidays. I believe good karma always has a way of coming around to those that are kind hearted. In closing I would like to wish all my fellow officers and their families a very Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate), and Happy NewYear. May God bless and keep you safe always. THE BOSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT PEER SUPPORT UNIT We are a peer-driven support program for police officers and their families. Our program is completely confidential and is available to ALL police officers and their families. Group or individual help with handling family and life issues, alcohol, drugs, anger and domestic issues. Referral for specialist as needed. 251 River Street, Mattapan, MA 02126 Office: 617-598-7888 (M-F 9 am-5 pm) Off-Hours, On-Call Peer Counselor: 617-343-4680 Sometimes even WE need a little help from our friends!