Thin Blue Lines.

He was the kind of man who stood in front of you to protect you, beside you as a friend and behind you to be there to help and support you. 

Years after I read these words, handwritten ink stained with someone else’s tears, they still stir deep within me. Because I know them to be true of the man they honored. And because I have learned in so many ways that they are true of every man and woman standing in front of, beside and behind each one of us.

I see the depth of those words in the police officer that recognized a little boy’s need for friendship in place of a father lost. In the young man that sought to do good where good was needed, reminding me that honor and commitment are not defined by age and experience alone. In my children’s laughter as firefighters hang our wreath each holiday season and who, without question or judgment, erase obstacles that seem insurmountable in the moments when they are.

In the thin lines of blue and red that stand proud in heavy uniforms when others would wilt under the weight and the heat. In the men and women that move bravely forward when others would retreat. In the brotherhood that puts their heart, souls and lives on the line every day.

In the hundreds of men and women that wake early on a Saturday morning each fall—a field filled with pride and respect for the first responder community—to honor the memory of those that we have lost, those who have been left behind, and those that continue to stand strong where others would falter.

In the remarkable women—left behind because lingering illness changed their lives, because the pressure simply became too heavy a burden to bear, because tragedy strikes unexpectedly, and because their spouses did not come home from shift—who show us that loss is universal. In the smiles and laughter that remind us that the greatest tribute we can pay our fallen first responders is not only in remembering them, but in remembering the children that are the legacies they leave behind.  

In the 100 Club and what it stands for, and the men and women it stands behind.

Since its beginnings, the 100 Club of Arizona has provided support for more than 1,300 first responders and their families. In 2011 alone, 216 families were touched by its gentle hand. But what is remarkable about this quietly powerful organization is that its mission crosses the line to support first responders and their families in both line-of-duty and non-line-of-duty deaths, for injuries catastrophic and those that are not, and in times of illness and hardship. It is a network of support, from the writing of wills and financial counseling to volunteer opportunities and events and programs dedicated to building even stronger bonds between first responder families.

Like so many others who have come before me and those yet to come, I knew of the thin blue line and the 100 Club of Arizona and the bonds of pride, duty, friendship and compassion that bind the two together. And both were there from the very first moment that I needed them to keep me from falling and to help me as I once again stood on my own.

In the years since the 100 Club of Arizona quietly knocked on my door I have learned much about the resilience of the human spirit, and the quiet strength not only of the first responders but also of the families and friends that stand with them. And of my own strength.

As I watch with pride and respect as the thin blue line stands strong for others, I know that we will never be forgotten. They are simply standing in front of, beside and behind those who need them as we needed them. And standing quietly behind the heroes that silently touch our lives every day is the 100 Club of Arizona.

And it is our responsibility—our privilege—to stand behind them.

Teeter Note: September 15 is National Tell a Police Officer "Thank You" Day. This blog was written for the current issue of the 100 Club of Arizona's newsletter. You can learn more about the 100 Club of Arizona at www.100club.org. But in my opinion, first responders deserve our thanks each and every day.