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kirk weisler
Officer Nick Struck (post by Frank Somerville KTVU)
This picture has gone viral.
And you’ll understand why in a moment.
That’s Officer Nick Struck from the Brighton, Colorado Police Department.
He’s trying to distract that little girl he’s holding.
He wanted to keep her from learning that her daddy just died in that car behind them after it rolled over.
Officer Struck told 9NEWS:
“My daughter, when she falls down and hurts herself, I sing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.’
So I started singing it to the little girl.”
There were six people in the car.
Two adults and four children.
And it appears no one in the car was properly restrained.
Because all of them were ejected.
Officer Struck told 9NEWS:
“When you hear that there’s children involved, I’ll tell you what, everyone that responds to that scene, you get that pit in your stomach.”
“The first thing we do when we get on scene is we just try to, if we can comfort anybody, of course we’re going to go to the kids.”
The little girl’s father was the only person killed in the accident.
The other adult and three of the kids were taken to the hospital.
But the little girl in the picture wasn’t hurt.
Officer Struck said he could relate to her because he has a young daughter at home.
“I have a two-year-old daughter and she’s my first kid.
So, of course, your first thought is that could be your little daughter.”
The picture was taken by Jessica Matrious.
She just happened to be passing by at the time.
And what she captured is a piece of police work that we don’t see very often.
As Officer Struck told 9NEWS:
“I’m not a medical person, but I know how to give a hug to somebody, and you better believe every one of those officers on scene would do the same thing.”
The Brighton Police Department posted this picture and the story on their Facebook page.
They said:
“We are extremely proud of the men and women of our department!
Good work, Officer Struck!”
One person left a comment saying:
“His photograph symbolizes what police work is.
Giving a bit of comfort while in the background total chaos is going on.
Great photo and great job Brighton Police Department. “
And another person wrote:
“While it’s never going to detract from this little lady losing her daddy, the officer has made her trauma just a little more bearable.
I hope he stays in her life in some form.”
I salute Officer Struck.
And I sure hope that little girl is going to be okay.
At some point she’s going to learn that daddy is not coming home.
And she’s going to need all the support she can get.
Quotes from Officer Struck courtesy 9NEWS
Picture courtesy Jessica Matrious via Brighton Police Department Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brighton-Police-Department/422571431253696?hc_location=ufi
Ohana!!
Do you remember that 16 year–old boy from Florida who was so desperate to get adopted out of foster care, that he actually stood up in front of a church congregation and asked if anyone would be willing to adopt him.
He said:
“I’ll take anyone.
Old or young, dad or mom, black, white, purple.”
His name was Davion Only.
And the Tampa Bay Times just did a really nice piece on him.
After a very long road, it appears he’s finally found a family that he can really call his own.
And guess who’s adopting him?
His caseworker.
A woman who has known him since he was 7.
The adoption will become official on April 22.
And these are pictures of Davion with his new family.
He looks so happy.
More on all of that in a moment.
But first it’s interesting how he got there.
After talking to the church congregation, thousands of people called the adoption agency asking about adopting Davion.
He eventually flew to Ohio to live with a minister and his family.
But he got into a fight with one of their kids and after three months they decided they didn’t want Davion.
They sent him back to Florida and he went back into foster care.
Four different homes and four different schools over the course of a year.
Davion was broken teenager.
But then a miracle.
He called his caseworker Connie Bell Going on the phone.
Davion said:
“Do you remember what I asked you before? I mean about . . .”
He then took a deep breath and said:
“Well, how do you feel about adopting me now?”
Connie already had three kids.
But she said yes.
And Davion moved in with them last August.
For the first time he had his own room.
For the first time he had his own walls where he hang pictures.
He also had a queen-sized bed.
No more trying to curl up into a single bed.
Just before Christmas Davion told his new mom:
“I guess I always thought of you as my mom.
Only now I get to call you that for real, right?”
He sure does.
In fact Connie says:
“I always thought he was a quiet kid, (but) in a two-hour period today, he called, ‘Mom!’ 45 times.”
The adjustment hasn’t all been perfect.
There have been some problems that they’re working through.
On the other hand, Davion is taking online classes and has a 3.1 GPA.
He’s also hoping to get a job and start boxing.
But here’s what I really think is cool.
This is what Connie said when she was still trying to find a family for Davion.
“I want him to be with a family that commits to him forever.
(I want him to know) that he is truly loved and that (they) are never going to give up on him no matter what.
And that he doesn’t have to be perfect.”
Who would have thought that in the end, that “family” would be Connie.
And now Davion can call her mom all he wants.
Because that’s what she is.
His mom.
Today, tomorrow and forever.
Story courtesy Lane DeGregory/Tampa Bay Times
Pictures courtesy Cherie Diez?Tampa Bay Times
And here’s a link to the story.
It’s a great read.
http://www.tampabay.com/…/finally-a-family-for-davi…/2225047
Be the Buyer of Empty Books (post by Kirk Weisler)
Many years ago a man that I highly respect encouraged me to be the buyer of empty books. When I questioned the logic of paying for blank pages his reply was simple and it profoundly changed my life: “So you can fill them with great things.”
“Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable.” Francis Bacon -1561-1626
I suspect almost anyone who has heard me present over the past 18 years has likely heard me talk about the incredible value of keeping a leadership journal and learning the discipline of capturing insights as they come.
I freely promise to anyone who will put a pen to the top of an empty page, that inspiration will come. It doesn’t matter if you are sitting in a meeting or sitting quietly by yourself. I also know that the very act of being more prepared to capture these insights will invite inspiration to come more frequently.
I have been doing this now for many years and my dozen “leadership journals” are easily among the most valuable books in my leadership library. I am so grateful that I’ve learned to be the buyer of empty books. I don’t know how valuable my leadership journals would be to you, but to me they are priceless.
Make it a great day and weekend. If you don’t already have an empty book, buy one. I challenge you to open it up a few times with a pen in hand and see what happens. If you already keep a journal, please comment below on the blog and tell us why you do, how you do it, and how it has blessed your life. Shoutout to Angelica King – a Process and Organizational Change Leader & Manager in Minnesota who keeps the most incredible leadership journals I have ever seen.
Be the buyer of empty books…and be the writer of your own inspirational library.
Kirk Out
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Push Pull Smile and Unwrap (post by Kirk Weisler)
There are two ways of exerting one’s strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up. — Booker T. Washington
I am hoping you T4D readers might be open to a bit of fun today. Just in case you are not… you can stop reading after the Booker T. Washington Quote and have an amazing day! 🙂
Now for an attempt at a bit of fun. Someone sent me this joke yesterday and it reminded me of the kind of humor that was so popular back in my parents day.
Bill Allen is on his deathbed and knows the end is near. His nurse, his wife, his daughter and 2 sons, are with him.
He asks for 2 witnesses to be present and a camcorder be in place to record his wishes, and when all is ready he begins to speak:
My son, “Bernie, I want you to take the Mayfair houses.”
My daughter “Sybil, you take the apartments over in the east end.”
My son, “Jamie, I want you to take the offices over in the City Centre.”
“Sarah, my dear wife, please take all the residential buildings on the banks of the river.”
The nurse and witnesses are blown away as they did not realize his extensive holdings, and as Doug slips away, the nurse says, “Mrs. Smith, your husband must have been such a hard-working man to have accumulated all this property”.
Sarah replies, “Property ? …. the jerk had a paper route!”
LIFE IS A GIFT, UNWRAP IT.
Kirk Out
Worry Wisdom – Did You Even Know it Existed? (post by Kirk Weisler)
I’m not worried.
Kirk Out
Counting the Stuff that Counts (post by Kirk Weisler)
Many of the things you can count, don’t count. Many of the things you can’t count, really count. ~ Albert Einstein
At least one thing that counts is you and I and the spirit of our contribution to the world.
It’s the “why” or the intent behind everything that we do. We must not let the weakness of our nature overcome possibilities of our potential.
We must keep ourselves in a state of growth and of “becoming”. Let serving and lifting others be a significant part of the genuine intent that is behind all the things that we do. Then those things that we do, may count for much much more. ~ Kirk Weisler
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