Smiles From a 4 Year Old

Yep, I do enjoy them so. But first, I just got done telling you how I will be a better blogger and to post more regularly........then........LIFE hits me in the back of the head like I'm an NCIS probie. I guess I forgot that I have a full time job, a wonderful wife, a 3...scratch that... 4 year old daughter, and a house, and a, and a, and a, ad nauseam. So here I am, what, a month since my last post hoping you're still out there. Anyway, it's difficult to explain how my life can sometimes be such a display of contradictory paths between work and home. Yet my home life and work are inextricably intertwined. Read on if you dare......

I just spent the past two weeks on a case where some sick SOB attacked young boys with a chemical spray as they walked down the street. Fortunately, we quickly discovered the chemical was pepper spray mixed with Fabreeze so the effects were painful but not scarring to the victims. So I spent my days looking for some ba*#*rd that thought this was a cool and funny stunt then, I came home to my bairn (Scottish for "baby") who was eagerly anticipating her upcoming birthday. To visit a teenager with a chemical burn on his face and eye then go home to a perfect angel made me SO VERY grateful for the blessings in my life.

The Bairn knows daddy puts "Bad Guys" in jail but has no concept of just how bad those guys can be. Hopefully, it will be a long time before she has to know. Such as the disappearance of a 23 year old girl from her cruise ship vacation with friends. The girl was last seen with an unknown male at a bar in the Bahamas. As you know cases like this quickly take on a life of their own (think FBI, CNN, etc.). So, as I am trying to deal with this case I am looking at the photos on my desk of The Bairn's smiling face and pray I won't have to call someone else's daddy and crush his heart.

In my eleven years of service I have come to believe it is important to enjoy what you do, but more importantly you should do what you do with passion, devotion, and honesty. Passion for the job, the hunt, the belief that what you are doing is right and that you can make a difference. Devotion to the truth, to the facts, and to perform my duty with honor. Finally, to serve with honesty. Honesty in purpose, honesty in ability, and honesty in life. Above all, Honesty is the keystone. Without it the remaining traits are hollow and unavailing.

So, for me, I use the wonder and delight of coming home to the excited hug of a 4 year old girl that missed her daddy to give me the strength of character and strength of will to remain honest to myself, my wife, my family, and my job. I just thought you'd like to know that.