PAULIE BARASCH
NYPD RETIRED
nypd1policeplaza@aol.com

Beautifully written, shared from a friend.

I will be joined by thousands of people I do not know. I will be joined by people from all over the country. They will come because it is what we do for each other. We take care of our own.

We will be there rain, snow, or shine. We will line the streets for miles. We will have drums. They will sound serious, they will sound dignified, they will sound solemn. We will have bagpipes. They will sound the ode to sadness that we all know so well. We will have helicopters. They will fly in a formation. They will fly neat, orderly, and with purpose. There will be one bird missing. We will have motorcycles. We will have a lot of motorcycles. They will be loud. We will hear them coming from a miles away. They will send chills up our backs. We will have goose bumps. We will have tears. We will stand proud, angry, sad, heartbroken......but proud to be who we are, and what we do.

We will stand shoulder to shoulder in a sea of blue. We will salute, immaculate white gloves touching the shiny black brim. We will be unified in purpose. We will not need a sign to explain our occupation. We will stand with one voice, one mission. We will not ask for your money, your sympathy, or understanding. We will not complain about why we are here. It was our choice to raise the right hand. We took this job fully knowing the hazards of the profession.

I want to say goodbye to someone that I never met. I want to say goodbye to A HERO. I want to say goodbye to a colleague. We look out for each other.

This is how we say goodbye.
RIP NYPD DET. Miosotis Familia 😔GOD BLESS!
Proud to be part of this BLUE FAMILY. LOVE YOU