2006 Father of the Year: Dan Bessant
Child's Play x2 | December 23Let me first say that I don’t know Dan Bessant. Until this past week I had never even heard of him. Since then I have learned that he was born in 1981. He has a wife of five years. And he has a two-month-old son.
And on Wednesday, December 20, 2006, he was shot and killed while on duty as an Oceanside, CA police officer.
According to my local paper, Dan was larger than life. Everyone loved him. He was a good man who loved being a cop but also loved being a dad. After reading what a great guy he is, I wish that I had known him. And, most of all, I wish that his son could know him.
Every day I open up the paper and read about all the terrible, awful things happening in this world and this week was no different. Another son will grow up without his dad. Another wife will be without her partner. But I pray that they know Officer Bessant died doing what he loved and what not enough of us would even consider doing. He died protecting us from evil. I will pray for Officer Bessant and his family this Christmas. I will pray that his wife has strength and that his son feels loved.
And on Christmas morning I will descend the stairs of my comfortable home, wrap up my children in my arms and shower their heads with kisses. And I will thank God that I am alive to see such splendor.
God Bless you Dan Bessant.
I would like to say as a mother, I am so thankful for my wonderful family and in the same breath; I am so heartbroken to learn of such unnecessary tragedies. All of my thoughts and prayers are with Dan and his family. God took an angel on Wednesday, December 20, 2006… and we may never know why…but he is holding Dan’s family close to him right now. May you heal and be stronger than you ever thought you could be.
Dan and his family are true heroes.
God Bless
Perspective is so easy to find and oh, so difficult to keep. It’s only if we remember the good guys like Dan Bessant in our everyday lives that we can honor him - whether we knew him personally or only through a newspaper story far too late. Everyday we must challenge ourselves to “Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin,’” and by doing so, we will provide our famililes with the inspiration to live life to the fullest. Happy New Year. Happy Holidays. And Happy Perspective. Finders keepers…
Thank you for honoring our fallen brother on this site.
-TF
Friend of Dan
happy 2007!
i’m sorry to hear about that officer.
i’m lucky to be here.i fought off cancer this year
I knew a man who was just like this guy he was an oklahoma highway partrolman and was killed the day after christmas when he found a meth lab after getting up to help what he thought were people stranded in thier car. Somethings in this world just dont make sence
I knew Danny, way back when. He was a fine young man who grew into an exceptional husband, father, friend, brother, son and police officer. Mostly, he grew into a man who know his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and sought each and every day to honor that commitment.
Danny wasn’t perfect, as none of are. But it was a life well lived - we would do well in following his example.