Today I am mad. Mad that Mark”s life is forever changed. Mad that I had to listen to my 9 year old daughter, talk to her Aunt Holly about what has happen to her dad because she didn’t want to upset me. Mad that my 15 year old son now has the pressure to step up and take care of his mom and sister because some man purposely set out on a mission to “run over a cop.” He circled the building with a mission to “run over a cop.”
I have laid her and thought of all the things Mark will never do again. All the things he did the last 7 days, that if done again will never be the same because a man set out to “run over a cop.”.
Many nights a year if you drive through our neighborhood you would see us neighbors sitting in a big circle in a driveway. Kids playing and is adults have a “neighborhood meeting.” We laugh until we cry. So many stories told so many memories made. Last Friday night we hosted the “driveway meeting.” My best friend and her daughter joined us as well. For several hours we sat and talked, we laughed, the guys planned there next favorite breakfast item. Our next driveway meeting we won’t be giving Priebe a hard time about how long it takes him to build the fire. He won’t be able o build a fire. Just over a week ago Mark built a fire for the kids. The 3 of them set out there and talked. Mark made a post that night about it. Very rarely did he tell the kids no when they ask to get out the fire pit and build a fire.
Our next driveway meeting night will be different because a man set out to “run over a cop.”
I shared a picture yesterday about the post-it-note Mark would leave us every morning. That post-it-note is laying next to my bed. If I could laminate it I would. That post-it-note has a memory that will never leave my mind. It was the last post-it-note Mark wrote just before he left for work on Tuesday, June 9. The day a man choose to “run over a cop.”
Chloe is my cuddle bug. Since she was little she would climb in bed next to me so she could “cuddle.” What this meant was she wanted to lay close to mom so she could sleep in our bed. Mark always let her and would make is bed upstairs on the couch or in the living room on the couch. Monday night Chloe climbed in our bed to “cuddle”. Mark made his bed on the couch and we all slept sound. Tuesday morning at around 6 a.m. I heard Chloe say “by daddy I love you, see you tonight.” He said “I love you too, see you tonight.” She wanted Mark to wake her up every morning so she could tell him good bye. Some mornings he did and others he let sleep. Last night I ask Chloe if she was going to cuddle with me and she started crying. She said she couldn’t take daddy’s spot. In the last 8 years she never thought twice about taking daddy’s spot it was actually a game for her. Bedtime has forever changed because on June 9th a man set out to “run over a cop.”
Boppy has a man cave. A man cave where Conner loves to hang out. They have a golf simulator that takes up a approximately a 12’x12’ wall space. They play golf and watch movies down there. Two weeks ago this Sunday the boys went to the man cave to watch a couple of movies. The man cave will be different now, the steps in he back will likely became a ramp. A ramp that will allow Mark, Conner and Boppy to be able to go hang out at the man cave. A ramp will have to be built because on June 9th a man sat out to “run over a cop.”
Special Olympics has been a huge part of Marks life the last 10 years. He has been part of the planning of events like the Polar Plunge, helping with State Games as well helping with many other events. The most recent fundraising that had been going on was a bit different due to Covid. Every year there is a Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. Officers from all over the world, run and represent their department in the Torch Run. Mark and Chloe were planning to run the virtual 5k this last weekend but the protest took that time away from them. The next time the Polar Plunge comes around it will be so different for our family. The next time a 5k comes around it will be different for our family. It will be different because on June 9th a man set out to “run over a cop.”
On June 3rd, Mark and I had our 20th anniversary. Due to Covid and protest we weren’t able to celebrate. This week Mark wanted to go see our friend Jerry at Burrus Jewler’s and look at rings. We talked about Jerry making one similar to the ring Mark gave on our 5 year anniversary. The ring I lost. I told Mark let’s wait and see what’s going on and we would get down there sometime. Our next trip to Burrus Jewler’s will be different and much more meaningful because on June 9 a man set out to “run over a cop.”
I could go on all day about memories we have and plans we had. One June 9th we started a new chapter, scratch that, a new book. Our lives will be completely different in the days, months and years ahead. They will be different because on June 9, 2020 a man set out to “run over a cop” and that “cop” was my husband. That “cop” was Conner and Chloe’s dad. That “cop” was a man that put his heart in to his community he represented when he put on his badge, the groups he represented when he volunteered, a “cop” that put his heart into his family. That “cop”, his life has forever been changed because a man set out on June 9th to “run over a cop.”
Right now I cannot see myself forgiving that man who in June 9th sent a text stating “I am going to run over a cop I think.” He did, he did what he said he was going to do. He ran over my “cop.”
Last night Mark said “this was not how I wanted to retire.”
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