PAX Centurion - September / October 2015

Page 24 • PAX CENTURION • September/October 2015 617-989-BPPA (2772) Saying goodbye to a friend By Mark A. Bruno R ecently, former fellowOfficer DeborahFlaherty passed away. All who were fortunate to have known and worked with her would agree: she was a special person. I worked with her on several occasions and she was not afraid to mix it up. She also would show empathy and attempt to help those who would ask. If you got her mad enough, she could also make a truck-driver blush with her language! Any veteran officer from Area C would tell you they were never worried when they rode with her, or if she rolled up on a call. I always respected her opinions and suggestions on calls which she assisted me with. She was a great cop! Like many of us in this profession will tell you, the job can take its toll mentally and physically. Much as we try to hide our angst and uncertainty at times, for some of us, it is written on our faces. This job can twist you up inside, chew you up and spit you out. Not only do we deal with the public’s negative opinion of us, but we also deal with the politics of the job, and sometimes our home problems. It is the nature of the job and you need a good supply of antacids and a cast-iron stomach to deal with it. The smile we wear sometimes only serves to mask what we are really going through inside. Debbie certainly had her demons to battle but they didn’t change the kind person she was. Many reached out to help her in those moments of despair, but like most of us, we try to deal with our problems on our own termswhich is not always a good decision. Some of us take on extra loads to avoid dealing with these problems. Debbie, I was told, took care of her sister’s kids. Shewould care for them and keep them in line, which for her was a labor of love. Below our hard exteriors we all have a soft side when it comes to caring for family and friends. We unfortunately could care for everyone else but ourselves. SuchwasDebbie’s load to bear. It is the long dark road some of us journeyonnever to return.We can feel it coming like a freight train andwe find ourselves unable to get off the tracks. Like being dropped in the middle of an oceanwith nowhere to go, you are left to tread water till you can’t anymore. I’m not sure Debbie could have pulled herself off this path, or if any of us could have helped her fromher decision to take her own life. I can only tell you this: she was a good person who found herself in a dark place with no way out but the way she chose. Rest in peace, my good friend. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is proud to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Great dental care is a labor of love. the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association. support