When I was a child living in a split level in the Maryland suburbs I saw my Lanier cousins once in a while. I remember their friendliness and big smiles. My cousin Cathy had courage and charisma, but we were sort of different, so we never hung out much. I got the feeling she was ready for bigger games than I could take under consideration. I like small.
As we got older we grew further apart, and at one point I remember her ribbing me for being a goody-goody. Well, look who grew up to be the Chief of Police.
When I was in High School in Arlington, VA, DC was called "the murder capitol of the world." Endless hopelessness, despair, tragedy, young men gunning each other down night after night. Now, I can't believe it, my cousin, the one that had a baby out of wedlock at 14, is its Chief of Police, and she's walking around the city hugging everyone. I want to hug everyone too. Maybe it's in our blood.
Reading the article about her in the Washington Post Magazine I sobbed, out of pride, and also because so much went on with her that I never knew about. I never knew about the food stamps, I didn't know that she was getting assaulted after school. The kids had to leave the room while I read and blubbered, they don't like that sort of thing.
It seems she's taken all that experience and figured out a way to dedicate it through public service. She wants the people of DC to know that she's there to serve them and work with them to create harmonious communities and protect precious lives.
I just wish she could have a good night's sleep, as if her head were cradled all night long and she could have a night free of her worries. I wish all of DC could have a night like that, and wake the following day to a world in which the only deeds that had meaning were the opportunities to perform miracles of kindness, truth, beauty and love.
I hope those who've become cynical about police due to the misdeeds of rogue officers soon get a chance to come in contact with someone like my cousin, or any officer who took the job to protect our constitutional freedoms and the efforts of the struggling. Salt of the earth, some walk their talk.
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2 comments:
Oh, my goodness, what an incredible story. Your cousin sounds like a fabulous person, pulling herself out of the depths like that. She's an example for us all.
What a fabulous, inspiring article. I remember Mary telling me she was Chief of Police in DC. What a lesson in perseverance. Kudos to her.
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