Family, Friends & Fellow Officers Remember...

Every place is a vortex of energy, some locations more so than others. Practitioners of feng shui take readings of energy of places and the forces they describe are both positive and negative. Each place where you resided, Officer cook, you brought with you a positive and reinforcing amount of energy. Being the optimist allowed you to think things through and formulate a plan to help you solve the situations presented to you. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. Feng Shui is I believe a form of relaxation exercise.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 10, 2013

The stage of my life has changed; old doors are closed and new ones now stand open. Though I may have seen this space before, I now come to make it mine, to call it home. Hello and greetings to the heart and soul of this new setting. I honor this place that will shelter me and I embrace the changes and opportunities that this move invites into my life. We have never been able to move without saying good-bye to all the rooms of the apartment. Houses are full of soul and so are rooms. I leave the bedroom...I begin walking through my house. I will traverse it many times today like a creature covering her turf. It is a journey that zigzags and returns upon itself...a re-remembering of "place." I know this is the way many ancients prayed-circling a holy site to deepen their devotion...The floor in this house is wood...wide, old boards. When I walk I am walking on the wood and in the woods. I am walking on the life of these trees. They have been cut and planed...offered up for this sheltering. As you continue your eternal journey through God's heavens Officer Cook, one thing is crystal clear that day your mother, Mrs. Julia Cook, let her live and be well and your beloved wife, Karen, let her live and be well too, were forever changed in sorrow over your loss. Nancy and her family too were overcome with tragedy and loss too, but in all their hearts and in their homes, you will always be a part of them as we remember you and your outstanding bravery to duty when it called and you could be counted on the most. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. I was in your old bedroom in North Miami Beach, Florida as met Gina and her loving family. I then stated sobbing like baby and she comforted me. I am supposed to stay stoic as I perform funerals for others, but the sense of your loss left me very sad as I wear my emotions on my sleeve. You were the greatest friend and source of wit and courage a person could ever have known. Your spirit could definitely transfer some of that to myself and I would greatly recognize it.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

There is joy in all: in the hair I brush each morning, in the Cannon towel, newly washed, that I rub my body with each morning, in the chapel of eggs I cook each morning, in the outcry from the kettle that heats my coffee each morning, in the spoon and the chair that cry "hello there, each morning, in the godhead of the table that I set my silver, plate, cup upon each morning. All this is God, right here in my pea-green house each morning and I mean though often forget, to give thanks, to faint down by the kitchen table in a prayer of rejoicing as the holy birds at the kitchen window peek into their marriage of seeds. So while I think of it. let me paint a thank you on my palm for this God, this laughter of the morning, lest it go unspoken. The joy that isn't shared, I've heard, dies young. Things sure happen sometimes not as we planned, Officer Cook. But one thing is certain and that is you're never far from us. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Wherever you live is your temple if you treat it like one. It is essential to experience all the things and moods of one good place. This world, this palpable world, which we are wont to treat with the boredom and disrespect with which we habitually regard places with no sacred association for us, is in truth a holy place and we did not know it. A place will express itself through the human being just as it does through wild flowers. Perhaps the most radical thing we can do is to stay home, so we can learn the names of the plants and animals around us; so that we can begin to know what tradition we're apart of. The tradition you were a central part of Officer Cook, was your extended police family of which you were a loyal and distinguished member. Your homes with your parents and your wife, Karen were sacred places, filled with life, laughter and new meaning. We do not need cathedrals to remind ourselves to experience the holy. There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero in God's eternal home until your loved ones come to join you again. You honored the uniform and badge you wore with a sense of clarity and pride and now we take the time to pay back our honor to you for a job well performed until the end. We visit your grave and reflect back on your life and the achievements you realized that now highlight your very life and fantastic career of excellence personified.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

The river is famous to the fish. The loud voice is famous to silence, which knew it would inherit the earth before anybody said so. The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds watching him from the birdhouse. The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek. The idea you carry close to your bosom is famous to your bosom. The boot is famous to the earth, more famous than the dress shoe, which is famous only to floors. The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it and not at all famous to the one who is pictured. I want to be famous to shuffling men who smile while crossing streets, sticky children in grocery lines, famous as the one who smiled back. I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous, or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular, but because it never forgot what it could do. The recognition that everything has its own place, integrity and happiness leads naturally to the spiritual practices of attention and wonder. To see for ourselves life celebrated for all its uniqueness, we need only to view a spiritual perspective. Each moment of time is precious not because of what it can be used for, but simply because it is. Creation is only one use of time. Another is appreciation. We appreciate and have recognized your special niche in society, Officer Cook and perhaps the light will go on and we can finally start remembering your valued and cherished life of twenty-five years for all that it represented to our community and in and around the sacred streets of Dade County where your jurisdiction was Officer Cook. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Ring the bells that can still ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. I wasn't there that day, Officer Cook, at your Inspector's Funeral. But the bells at St. Mary's Cathedral in Miami were ringing loud and clear, as it was a beautiful day from the accounts of your service and a very moving and emotionally charged with inspiration event that filled the pews at St. Mary's. There was and will always be a gaping hole left by your loss in your family and department. But the brilliant light of your courageous soul will forever illuminate this world in the hopes that it can dispel the darkness of evil and the wicked who run to pursue it. You ran Officer Cook, to chase down evil that day and in the process saved four of your fellow officers and two civilians marking a new dawn in the Liberty City Community of Metropolitan Dade County where you loved serving and protecting its citizens. I hope and pray that this day the sentimental value of things often exceeds their practical uses. they become old friends who share our lives. If any citizens back when you served there in the 1970's are alive and reasonably well, hopefully they have not forgotten your sacrifice on their behalf. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. Your soul and that of your sisters and brothers who made the ultimate sacrifice should serve as the offering of renewed peace and unity that those very citizens can live their lives by as they prosper and endeavor to pick up the pieces left by racial strife in their communities. I noticed driving by yesterday a new building in Liberty City off NW 27th Ave. and around NW 47th St. My have times really changed and hopefully for the betterment of the people living there with their families. Your eyes might not believe Officer Cook, the transformation that has taken place.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

No more words. In the name of this place we drink in with our breathing, stay quiet like a flower. So the night birds will start singing. Things serve not only as mirrors of our inner quests and questions, but also as agents of change. Things have sure changed, Officer Cook since both your days on the force and your tragic passing. But somehow we have to view the good things that God has brought about to this world. Your nephew, Justin was born in 1986 as were your two great-nieces: Alexis and Skyler and great-nephew, Legend. I had the pleasure to meet each of them and played soccer in your mother, Mrs. Julia Cook's backyard with Legend about twelve months ago. They'll grow up to be fine upstanding citizens of their communities as did you my neighbor, friend and hero. Rest in peace.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Things make connections between everyday experiences and the world of deep meaning. They can point beyond themselves to the profound. Things can encourage such spiritual practices as being present, openness and wonder. They are also constant reminders of the Mystery of Love among us. All these mysteries of why things can and do happen unfortunately to good people like you, Officer Cook. Only God knows why and He apparently needed you valuable soul to help Him wipe away the evil that took you from your loved ones and friends. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Know, O my son that each thing in the universe is a vessel full to the brim with wisdom and beauty. Officer Cook, you allowed your senses not to be impaired and relished all that you were given to accomplish. If you love it enough, anything will talk with you. The value of a personal relationship to things is that it creates intimacy and intimacy created understanding and understanding created love. Never was anything in this world loved too much, but many things have been loved in false ways and in all too short a measure. For all your time in this world, Officer Cook, you greatly gained a new found measure of respect and admiration from your family, friends and colleagues who were truly amazed by your exploits. Your dared to be bold and yet gentle and calm like a breeze. Your valor and courage were your hallmarks by which your legacy will always stand as a building block for other officers to attempt to climb. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

See the world as your self. Have faith in the way things are. Love the world as your self; then you can care for all things. You always viewed the big picture, Officer Cook and this is what brought you to become the unassuming, humbly achieving officer that Metro-Dade had serving in their ranks. There was a popular song sung in the 1970's that the Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball team made even more famous. The song was titled, "We Are Family." Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero, you will forever be a part of the Metro-Dade Police Department's most finest and outstanding officers the world may never see the likes of ever again.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Be passionately aroused by life. Cherish every moment, honor your commitments and treasure your kinship with all. A man of his word, that was what you dedicated to life and career to Officer Cook. You lived your days with a refreshing zeal not so often exhibited by others. Others should relish what you so faithfully relished and that was to live life with compassion, but do so with honor and dignity your position brought to you. Be firm and yet fair when it is needed the most. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Accept that you are a child of God. Sing your own song with gusto. Fulfill your mission as a co-partner with the Holy One in the unfolding drama of the universe. You and Karen were Officer Cook, partners in this blueprint we call life and now we have to summon the courage and fortitude to accept that you and your beloved father, Charles are a vibrant part of God's after life, looking down and assisting Our creator in protecting your fellow comrades who are serving communities to get a better grasp on evil and how it can destroy a modern world. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Follow your heart's boundless desire. It takes you out of yourself and fosters an appreciation for the multidimensional pleasures of life. You followed Officer Cook and God took you through your successes and simple enjoyments which you allowed yourself to indulge in from time to time. You were a multifaceted human being capable of doing many tasks without much aid. The sign of a very gifted fellow indeed. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Accept the unknown as part of life. Don't try to unravel the profound mysteries of God, human nature and the natural world. Love the ineffable. You certainly did, Officer Cook and you appreciated all the opportunities that God placed at your front door as did Karen. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Cultivate a vibrant curiosity and welcome the reports of your senses. The world is alive and moving toward you with rare epiphanies and wonderful surprises. Remember you are standing on holy ground. We can only wonder Officer Cook, what the world would be like if you were still here helping us shape the future foundation that a man of your great intellect help lay for others to walk through that door inspiring others to keep at it and to never give up hope. You never did. We shouldn't either. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Practice the art of seeing the invisible. Use the wisdom of your personal visions to renew yourself and your community. You always reviewed your actions, Officer Cook and put into live practice what you were taught by your instructors. You looked, observed, practiced and drilled continually until it was time for your final examinations and before you took to the streets to serve. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

In this age of global spirituality, respect differences but affirm commonalities. Work together with those who are trying to make the world a better place. Police officers such as yourself, Officer Cook, keeping working harder and harder each day to make their communities safer. It's because of men and women such as yourself, who make the ultimate sacrifices are we finally able to realize our hopes, goals, aspirations and dreams. Your visions of yesterday are our where our sights are set for tomorrow. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Welcome the positive changes that took place in your life. I would say to this that because of your sacrifice, Officer Cook, officers in Dade County now have the side-panels that were not there when you served. Obviously, death is always sorrowful and we are sorrowful over your untimely death, Officer Cook. But your wonderful soul breathes life into all your loved ones. God has opened His windows for a little fresh air and His wholeness and healing are waiting in His wings as He awaited for your ascending up His ladder. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Be willing to learn from the spiritual teachers all around you, however unlikely or unlike you they may be. Always be a sensitive student. You were always a good student and possessed the acumen to gain more insight from those you admired and wanted to learn from. You played the drums in high school, so you had to have an inner feeling and appreciation for the fine arts. Your humbleness, Officer Cook, was a very good way of exhibiting your dignity and integrity so essential in your position of fair and just treatment to all citizens you served. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad. Find this divine energy in your daily life and share it with others. You shared this Officer cook, with one of the most important person in your life, your beloved wife, Karen. For several wonderful years you enjoyed each other's company and set your priorities in order. You understood each other and the sacrifices the two of you had to make for one another. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Give imagination free rein in your life. Explore its images and ponder its meaning-making moments and it will always present you with something new to be seen, felt or made known. As an amateur photographer, Officer Cook, your vivid mind and sense of the outdoors served to allow you to be free a bit while off duty. You enjoyed your quiet times like any other officer and it showed. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Practice hospitality in a world where too often strangers are feared, enemies are hated and the "other" is shunned. Welcome guests and alien ideas with graciousness. Your parents and you and Karen, Officer Cook, always had your doors open and available to host parties and other happy occasions. It's a shame you are not with us physically to greet and embrace your friends, but we know you are greeting your friends in God's heavenly palace along with your father, Charles, as you rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. always

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Let this positive and potent emotion fuel your dreams and support your service of others. Through your attitudes and actions, encourage others never to lose hope. The ever present optimist, you always fought for and wanted others to succeed through your inspiration, Officer Cook. The charming charismatic person you were defined the quality of loyalty you displayed while on duty serving your community. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Spell out your days with a grammar of gratitude. Be thankful for all the blessings in your life. And you were Officer Cook. And we should all be too for having you with us for twenty-five wonderful years of endeavor. You changed a lot of lives for a positive result and this needs to be taken notice of. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. The last word of this reflection spells out the gentleness of your upstanding character. HERO!

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013

Accept grace and your world will be larger, deeper, richer and fuller. Look for its intimations everywhere. Let this seed of the Giver of Life bloom in your words and very deeds. Officer Cook, you were a man of your word and your parents knew the quality son that they raised to uphold the ideas and themes central to growing up with values, values so often missing in today's modern society. You always gave of yourself as did Karen and this is what life is about. Us, we and our have replaced I, my and me. Rest in peace my neighbor, friend and hero. Your horizons were much more broader than that of most individuals and this helped you maintain your humility.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis

April 9, 2013