Merry Christmas
Here we are. It is Christmas Day! I don’t know about you, but for the Withrow family, today is the day where things maybe slow down just a tiny bit. Yes, the boys will be opening their presents. It will be a flurry of paper, bows, bags, and boxes to some degree. But Karen and I—just last week we had the Portland event, and Longview the week before that. Two Christmas parties, a board commitment with Transitional Youth, Christmas recitals for the boys, plays, music concerts, lunches, breakfasts, and so many different things.
It’s been a flurry of running ever since Thanksgiving. The boys’ birthdays were just before that. So it feels a little bit like we’ve been running at a very breakneck pace. But this week, we get to settle down just a little bit and relax. I hope for you and your family, no matter how busy it’s been or what has been going on, that you are able to settle down and remember what you’re thankful for.
Look around your living room: your kids, your wife, your family. Maybe some of you got to get together with Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, or Mimi and Poppy. My family lives far away. So does Karen’s, so we don’t get to see them as often as we would like. But today, I get to sit down, watch my boys, love on them a little bit, and think about how I can bless not only my own family and those around me but also those who are a little less fortunate.
One of the things I’ve got planned for this morning, and by the time you’re reading, seeing, or hearing this, is that me and my boys will be out doing something important. One of the things I try to lead my boys to understand is how to be generous. Yesterday and over the last day or so, we made up a bunch of breakfast burritos. My goal is to go give them out to a shelter or somewhere similar. To provide a little blessing, to tell people that God loves them and that we love them, and to pray for them as they are on their road to recovery.
Some of these individuals are probably experiencing what we might think is a horrible situation. They’ve had it much worse—they’ve hit rock bottom in their past—but today, they are in a warm place. I want my boys to grasp and understand how fortunate they are and not lose sight of the importance of generosity and caring for their community and the people around them.
I would also love to give a shout-out to all of our team members who had to work today. Who had to work last night on Christmas Eve, or who will work tonight on Christmas Day. They have had to sacrifice time with family to keep the community safe. The same goes for our police officers, nurses, ambulance drivers, and firefighters. We care about them and remember them today. I also want to recognize our men and women overseas—of whom I have been one—serving Christmases stuck in a hole somewhere. I get it.
Therefore, I want to be grateful and thank God for those men and women who stand in the gap, sacrifice, and show up when emergencies come. I want to raise my boys to understand that too.
Wherever you are today, whether you’re listening at work, tomorrow, or the next day, just know that we are so thankful for you. You are a blessing to Northwest Enforcement. We pray that the rest of our team and leadership are a blessing to you.
On this beautiful day, God bless you. May you have a wonderful rest of your Christmas season, and we pray for the best as we move into 2025. This is our 25th anniversary, and we are marching forward. God bless you. Be valuable—nothing less will do. Be thankful, be generous, and care for those around you. Not just the people you’re connected to but also those you might run into at the mall, the supermarket, on the street, or at work.
A friendly smile to a coworker might just brighten their day. So here’s my smile to you. God bless you guys. Have a wonderful week, and I will see you next week, which will be on Wednesday—the New Year. God bless. See you next week!
