During the Miami-Dade Police Department’s 43rd Annual Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony, K-9 Officer Isabel McDonald shared a piece of her heart through verse. With the names of the fallen etched on the memorial walls as her backdrop, McDonald voiced a powerful message of resilience, remembrance and the unbreakable bond of the law enforcement community.
“When we lost one of our officers two years ago, I looked for poems that could comfort the family and officers but couldn’t find any. So, I wrote this poem because I wanted to share our perspective and help others understand what we go through. My aim is to help anyone else who has lost a loved one feel some type of closure,” McDonald said.
As National Police Week pays tribute to the bravery and commitment of those who wear the badge, McDonald’s words serve as a profound reminder of the risks these men and women face daily.
Read McDonald’s heartfelt poem below, and also experience the power of her delivery by watching the video of her reading at the ceremony.
When I don’t come home one day
When I don’t come home one day, please understand that my calling that day was to look evil straight in the eye and fight a battle never afraid to die, just like the hero you always believed I was.
When I don’t come home one day, understand that I always knew how much you loved me and never have any regrets or feel you didn’t do enough because you did.
When I don’t come home one day, tell the kids that I love them and will always be proud of them. Tell them I will be in their presence forever and will shine down on them with pride and that my life was complete because of them.
When I don’t come home one day, tell my fellow brothers and sisters in blue that there will be dark days but the badge we so proudly wear demonstrates the sacrifice of those who went before us that stayed in the fight till the end and no matter how hard it gets never to give up.
When I don’t come home one day, don’t stay angry at the one who took me away from you but instead fill your heart with memories that will never be taken away.
When I don’t come home one day, don’t be mad at the profession I chose but instead feel honored you were part of it.
When I don’t come home one day, remember the ones that went before me and pray that they will find eternal light.
When I don’t come home one day, make sure they continue to say my name and pray for me so I will never be forgotten.
About the author
Isabel McDonald, a 24-year law enforcement veteran, is a police officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department. McDonald, part of the K-9 unit, is currently assigned to Seaport. She has also been a hostage negotiator for 22 years, serves in the department’s Honor Guard and is a peer advocate within the department’s psychological services section. Before becoming a police officer, McDonald was a funeral director.
“At the time of the service, one of my responsibilities was to help select prayer cards. These cards were given out to family and friends in attendance. They included an original, personal meaning to the family,” she said.
When Miami-Dade Police Department Officer Cesar Echaverry was killed in the line of duty on August 17, 2022, McDonald was called as a peer to help with the many difficult roll calls and debriefs throughout the department.
“It was then that I began searching for a poem or prayer that was distinct to a police officer. I wanted to help my police families the same way I used to help the families at the funeral home,” McDonald explained. “I wanted to find a poem or prayer that could capture what an officer would want their loved ones and colleagues to know. This would help bring them comfort in a time of pain. After long hours of searching, I could not find anything. I went home that night and began to write what I would want my loved ones to know. That is how I came up with this poem.”
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