Blue Bloods

I like watching a number of television programs and one of the programs that I watch on Friday nights is Blue Bloods. It is a police drama that centers around an Irish American family, the Reagans, who are police officers. The drama takes place in New York City. The star of the show is Tom Selleck.

Blue Bloods isn’t just a police action show. It also centers around family dynamics. Every Sunday the family sits around the dining room table and eats dinner together. I found that refreshing because that was what it was like when I was growing up, Sunday meals were eaten together as a family. I do like the action and how well written the show is and how good the actors are. The episode that made an impression on me was the episode titled, The Job. I have it on Demand I was able to watch it and stop and go back over a few parts. Tom Selleck’s character has survivor guilt when he finds out his old partner is dying form a 9/11 related disease. And yes, many people, especially the first responders have developed respiratory diseases, and cancer from the 9/11 fallout.

In the end…when the partner dies, Selleck gives his eulogy. It was quite poignant. He talked about his partner saving 100 people from one of the Towers. He says that the living will honor those who died, take care of them and rededicate ourselves to the cause for which they gave their last full measure of devotion. Selleck says the Irish Blessing … May the road rise to meet you, may the wind always be at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, may the rains fall softly upon your fields…while the viewer sees the back of him dressed in his uniform, touching the engraved name of his friend with the 9/11 memorial behind and the water in the base running. This sent a shiver up my back and brought back 9/11 and the dedication ceremony.

That is a scene like the day of 9/11 and the days after that will haunt Americans forever. But Blue Bloods made an eloquent statement and tribute to those who died.