Coming Home

The mental and emotional adjustment necessary to accept a loved one's perpetual absence is paramount in in a police family.

I'm learning this slowly and first hand.

When my husband began the process of entering a LE career, he had to enroll in the reserve academy.  It meant he was gone every Tuesday and Thursday night and all day each Saturday for many weeks.  We had a new baby (our first), so the stress of being home alone, dealing with an infant, and putting up with him doing homework the rest of the time was bit grueling on my psyche.

But we made it.  And once he graduated he began the FTO Process...which meant more time away from home...as he was also holding down a full-time job elsewhere.

Eventually, things evened out and he fell into a routine.  He worked a regular 8-5 at his "day job" and then spent every Friday night as a reserve officer.  In our neck of the woods, however..."reserve" just meant "another officer on the street".  Unlike some departments, my husband's took him in as just another cop who happened to only come in on Fridays.  He had his own car.  He worked on his own.  He pretty much lived life as any other patrol officer...only with fewer responsibilities and far fewer hours.

It wasn't enough, however, to fulfill his growing need to get the hell out of his regular job and into full-time LE.

We talked quite a bit about what that would mean for us.  The long hours.  The possible dangers.  The crazy shifting schedules.

It seemed to make perfect sense to me.  LE was a good fit for his personality.  It was definitely something that would bring pride to our family, so I had no problem supporting his choice.  After all, he was miserable in his regular job...bored to tears and pissed off at his boss most of the time.  I couldn't see any negative to leaving and moving on to a more lucrative job with benefits.

We'll never be rich...but I feel a great deal of pride and admiration when I see him in uniform.  There's a twinge of fear that comes with it....because I understand the real risk that accompanies that belt of cuffs and weapons.

There isn't a person on this planet that can tell me cops don't take their duty to protect and serve seriously and soberly.   And there isn't a person who can tell me their families don't either.

So...here I sit...typing away late into the night before my husband comes home for the weekend.  It's hard not to get excited.

Every time a cop comes home, it's a blessing.