Out of the Mouth of Babes

If you ever spent any time around Officer Rodney Holder, you knew that servant was a fitting description. So too was beloved father, fun-loving co-worker, and friend. His death, besides being tragic, hit especially close to home with me. My brother is now a police officer in our city, and he now proudly tries to carry on the legacy Officer Holder left behind.

Thousands of friends and family members attended the funeral today, and thousands more found other ways to pay tribute. All of us tried to make sense out of something senseless, and tried to find strength during a time of great sadness. Ironically enough, the strongest person in the room was not one of Abilene's finest, but rather a 13 year old boy.

You can tell Kyler Holder is a Daddy's boy. He loved what his Dad did, he even used his Dad's call sign "Tom 23", to select scripture for his Father's funeral (Psalm 23, he said they sounded similar). It is abundantly clear that Rodney Holder was his family's foundation. So what would they do without him? Kyler Holder did what his Dad would have done in a tough situation. He picked himself up, dusted himself off, and showed strength that a thousand men couldn't muster. Nobody can replace what Rodney Holder did for his family or his community. But luckily enough, Kyler Holder has what it takes to be the new man of the house, with mom right by his side.