“I went from celebrating an 11-year-old boy’s birthday with my coworkers to responding to the tragic deaths of two babies.
This is the other side of the job — the hard side that few talk about.
It’s the side most people outside of law enforcement don’t see or understand. But believe it or not, we feel the pain too. We grieve. We’re human. You don’t see it because after leaving a heartbreaking scene, we show up at the next call with no tears, no anger — just ready to help whoever needs us next.
When people ask me, ‘How do you handle everything you’ve seen?’ I tell them, ‘I just file it away.’
This photo was taken only a few hours into my shift today. And yes, I wiped my tears and went to the next call.
I know I’m not the only one who feels this — so many others, especially the families, suffer far more. I understand that, and I’m not trying to take anything from their pain. I just needed to share what was on my heart tonight.
With everything going on in the world right now, this might not change much, but I hope you’ll show kindness to all of us. We all carry battles you can’t see just by looking at us. Every night we take off the uniform, lie down, and try to make sense of the grief — just like anyone else.
To my fellow officers who are going through the same struggles, thank you for staying strong and not giving up. I’m always here to listen.”
— Andrea Morey
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