The Best Gift Ever

I almost never post things about Paul's job online. However, something else happened the other night that I never want to forget, so I'm putting it here.

I can't publish all of the details. Basically, Paul went to a call where a husband was threatening and hurting his young wife and mother to their four very small children. His behavior was atrocious, especially given that he'd basically abandoned them. The four kids - all under the age of five - and their young mother were all living in a camping trailer without electricity or running water, parked in front of a commercial park. Two of the kids had no clothes on and they were all playing in the street (with their mother watching) and sometimes with the transient man who was camped out close to them. Paul handled the domestic abuse part of things, then had a sad situation on his hands from there. Clearly this was not a safe, clean environment for the kids to be living in. They needed something better. However, victims of domestic abuse are often reticent to call for help and no one wanted to take this woman's children away from her after she called for help from the police. She really was doing the best that she could with her limited resources. So they told her that they were going to help her but she had to accept the help or they would be forced to take her kids from her. Naturally, she accepted.

Paul and the victim's rights advocate that he works with found them temporary lodging in a hotel and contacted every shelter in the area to find them a more permanent solution. They found her vouchers for things like diapers and food. They spent hours making sure that this family was getting the best that could be done for them from the community. 

Our tenth anniversary is coming up next month. Paul came home that night and apologized to me. He said, "I've been saving up for a few months to get something special for our anniversary. But today, looking at those four kids, I had to do something. I spent all of the money I'd saved for our anniversary buying gift cards to grocery stores for them. I kept seeing our kids' faces and I felt so grateful that we can afford to give them everything that they need and many of the things that they want. I felt so sad for them and for their mother and I just had to help them any way I could." 

I have never been more proud of him in my life. This is the best anniversary gift he could have given me. We both went upstairs and hugged and kissed our sleeping babies and thanked God for the immense blessings that we enjoy in our lives. I will never meet this woman but I know that she and her little ones will be on my mind for a long time. I pray that she has strength for the trials coming to them and that she will meet many more people like my husband who will help her when they can. I am so proud of Paul and the man that he is. I'm proud that he's the kind of officer who really sees the people that he serves and fights for them. I am one lucky, lucky girl.

Love, Mary