Why They Matter: A Small Act of Kindness on a Hot Summer Day

This morning, on my way home from the farmers market, I stopped at a Shell gas station to fill up — only to find out they were completely out of regular gas. With Myla in the back seat and the temperature already climbing, I decided to drive two more miles to another station. I didn’t make it. My car sputtered, coughed, and came to a stop on the side of the road.

Myla started crying, the heat pressed in, and I felt that wave of panic every parent knows too well. I called a tow company to bring gas, but they said it would take an hour. Desperate to get my daughter somewhere cool, I called for a police officer to see if we could wait in their air-conditioned car.

That’s when Officer Larison from Kalamazoo Public Safety arrived. She immediately invited us into her cruiser, helping me get Myla out of the heat. With calm and kindness, she told me to cancel the tow — she had another idea. Larison radioed a fellow officer, who soon arrived with a gas can. (I wish I’d caught her name, because she deserves thanks too.) They filled my tank, made sure everything was working, and then Larison followed me to the nearest gas station just to be sure I made it safely.

While we sat together in her car waiting, we talked. I asked if she wanted to hold Myla, and her whole face lit up. For a moment, she wasn’t a police officer — she was just a person, smiling, laughing, and comforting a baby.

That’s when it really hit me: we often forget that behind the uniform are ordinary people with hearts, families, and compassion. In a time when so much focus is placed on division, this small act of kindness reminded me what service truly looks like.

These are the moments that matter. This is why police officers matter — not just because they protect, but because they care.