I’m one of those people, the “brewers”.  I can sustain myself by suppressing emotionally driven reactions for a good, long while.  Age and life experience gives us the gift of patience, tolerance, the ability to think it but not say it….however, suppression is just a masking of your real emotions - Duct taping of your filter, if you will.  Duct tape will fix almost anything, although it has no power to truly heal or repair a thing.  

I know doing what I do gives me an insight that is probably not the best thing for a person like me to have.  It gives me a look into the lives of others, into their homes, into their departments, into their viewpoints which are conveyed to me through their comments, messages and posts.  I still question God (yes, I said question God, that would be that human nature thing) as to whether or not I truly heard this whole mission as He had offered it to me, or if in reality I was just really sick of working in law and mentally formed His own calling for me in order to have a reason to walk away from the concrete corporate jungle. For, I am a cynic. I have learned to look for the better side of life, despite the overwhelming urge to Judo LEOW Ninja throat punch life to death at times. I have grown into my determination to be a positive person. I have dedicated myself to being a better wife, mother, friend, than I have in the past along former legs of this journey of life.  However, underneath all that conscious effort, there I am…the cynical me that years of loss, heartache, dysfunctional family, dysfunctional choice of professionally hand holding rich, divorcing whiners who have no clear vision of simple blessings has helped me become. 

You can learn how to live a better life, you choose your own behavior, you and your thoughts and actions dictate how you will face each and every day, but all of those are choices, it does not change the core of who you are.  There are no true saints or sinners in humanity – there are perfect souls, innocents which were brought into this world who through their own actions and life experiences live their lives as saints or as sinners.  It is always a choice. A choice we as the occupiers of our bodies make each and every day.   I’ve chosen to be a cynical person who suppresses that emotion for the sake of the positive, not a proud accomplishment, yet a constant reminder of the work of self I still have in front of me.  Although cynical, with need of mental renovation, I still choose to live a positive life. I’ve learned that allowing my cynicism to take the front row of my theater has never resulted in a positive outcome.  Although banished to my balcony, cynicism still has a seat. I hope to one day be able to say cynicism’s admission has been denied.  

I receive countless messages each and every day, too many to keep up with, too many for those who help me to keep up with, and the recurring theme for so many who write me is related to their relationship with their LEO, their LEO’s behavior, their LEO’s attitude, the failing state of their relationship.  What I hear so often is “I don’t know why we always fight, we fight about everything. Everything becomes a battle. He’s always in such a bad mood.  Everything is negative.  I feel so unappreciated.  I feel he doesn’t care about us at home.  I’m sick of his attitude.  I’m tired of being alone. I’m tired of feeling like a single mother.  I can’t deal with his mood swings.  He cheated.  I cheated. He’s an ass.  He says I’m a bitch.  His department treats them horribly and he brings it home to us. His co-workers mean more to him than his family, etc., etc.)  I could go on for days, but it all boils down to the same basic thing – discord on the home front.  And as simple as it sounds, for me it seems there is one thing which escapes so many relationships today – endearment.

I love looking at those interviews of the elderly couple.  Those who have been married fifty plus years, being asked by the younger generation how they make it work, how they make the love last.  And that’s just it…. the answer is they continued to love each other.  We’ve forgotten what it means to love one another, to truly love one another and what exactly the definition of love is. 

My favorite bible verse is about love.  1 Corinthians 13:4-7.  “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”  That is the answer of the elderly couple, still so in love after all those years.

I’ve been told not all are as “lucky to live such a charmed life” as I.  Not all have an understanding Officer Littles at home.  I’ve been told time and time again I have no idea what it’s like to live with an angry, hostile LEO who is under such stress on duty from being in a crime ridden community with a horrible agency only to come home to a financial nightmare and a blended family not blending well and crazy ex’s and sick babies and baggage from past relationships tearing the family apart….   Those who know me know that is all far from the truth.  Those who know Bervis and I know we too, just like you, make a decision each and every day to live a positive life, despite the negatives hurled at us, or we choose not to.  We have made a choice to be in this crazy life together, we have made a choice to respect each other, to love each other, to honor that we both made a conscious decision to spend the rest of our lives together and to always remember to cherish each other.  There is no “I give what I get”.  There is no “what’s in it for me?” There is no “I’ll show you”.  We have made a choice to live as one.  We are individuals dedicated to being a united front on our journey of life….and we both took the hard road to determining that was the best path for us to take.

I married BL after my ex (was a Marine and Cop) had been sentenced to prison time after pleading guilty to criminal abuse and battery and stalking charges against me.  BL had come out of a divorce and now found himself a single cop with two daughters to support and plenty of baggage with his ex, who he did his best to love and hang in there with and make it work, to no avail.  His kids missed their family being together, they were struggling. It was no place to introduce the new wife on a happy note, especially a new wife with PTSD and fear from abuse and a lingering taste of blood in her mouth by a cop gone bad, now giving it a go with a good cop, all the while struggling with her own little girl growing up lost. Trying to save her, rehab, therapy, the stress of trying to save your child while maintaining your marriage and not leaving either any less of a priority.  Watching my oldest, my baby girl, spiral out of control as my savings drained in an effort to force her to accept the help she needed, then losing her completely while watching your other children flourish. The battle against guilt in the pride for those still at home while living with never ending grief, and worry as you try and sleep each night not knowing if your child is dead or alive. Having to speak the words “she been missing for over a year” as the answer to “Where’s Lo, what’s she up to nowadays?”  Getting the call in the middle of the night your prayed for in a good way and dreaded in a bad way, only to be left without her once again wondering, while still living in your happy family home with those who remain with a smile on your face and a gaping hole in your heart….. just as all the chaos with your baby boy begins to make sense finally.  Autism, sensory processing disorder, speech therapy, occupational therapy….. bankruptcy,  23 years of 401-K savings used to live on gone in less than two years,  losing my dad last year after not speaking to him in over a decade as the color of the skin of my family wasn’t acceptable to him, the dysfunction of my entire family erupting over me as I walked my black husband into the arms of my accepting mother in front of an entire family of bigoted ignorance at a funeral home so I could make my peace.  BL’s mother losing her job, having severe diabetes and no place to live or insurance to cover her needs well before the age of retirement, a house with no room and a husband who is the responsible son taking on yet more responsibility for his family and now his mother.  Yes, a charmed life we live indeed.

My husband has lived the LEO life for over 15 years.  It’s not true that it takes a high crime rate to qualify you for the stresses of LEO life.  He still has monsters in the night from the babies he couldn’t save, the dead bodies that were alive when he got to them but not when he left them, that famous lumpy head and Nike Swoosh scar on his forehead is a daily reminder of the road he’s traveled and the traction lost underneath his wheels, as are the steroid shots in his back to keep him walking a reminder, or being on scene with the parents of the teenagers who blew their heads off who he had mentored for years only to be left feeling as he failed them in the end.  The memories of the times he lost his cool while still learning how to handle himself in the early days leaving him benched for 30 without pay, several times.  The baby in the lake, the exposure to the meth labs, decontamination. The bloated dead bodies found on the toilets. The lady in the hoarder house and the dead things inside.  The funerals of his brothers. The many, many funerals of his brothers.  

I guess you could say I feel I have earned the right to be cynical.  I guess I understand why I take offense when others tell me I can’t understand.  I guess my marriage should be falling apart, I guess I should take it all out on BL, I guess he should take it all out on me.  I guess we should be under no obligation to own our own personal struggles and take the personal responsibility upon ourselves to handle the stresses with dignity.  I guess I could reduce myself and allow the emotions I feel to overtake my filter and let BL be my whipping post when my inner bitch feels the need for release.  I suppose he could find an escape with a hot cop at work in an effort to avoid his mother living at home or his autistic son or his college age kids draining his already drained wallet that every extra security gig can’t cover.  I guess we could both just act and behave in a manner which might personally make us feel better at any given moment. I suppose I could blame him for working so much to provide for his grown kids or to care for his mother leaving me with the stresses of my own for extended periods of time.  I suppose the cold shoulder or nights on the couch or hanging out with those other than those we are supposed to come home to could be the answer.  I suppose being volatile rather than responsive would be acceptable…. But it’s just not.

I married that man for a reason.  He is the kind of man who sacrifices time with family for the sake of honoring his duty.  He is ethical in that way.  He is the kind of man who would never let his kids go without the college education of their dreams.  He is the kind of man who will never leave his mother worried about a roof over her head.  He is the kind of man who would take on a scarred, damaged woman and show her the kind of love that exists in this world.  He is the kind of man who has nothing to prove but chooses to prove the best of him each and every day.  He chooses to be that man, despite what life hurls at him.  Life has hurled much his way.  Is he perfect? Absolutely not, but he owns his moments when it all gets to be too much.  He directs that emotion not angrily at me, but lovingly into my arms, the one person he knows has his back, the one person he can go to when he is overwhelmed.  The one person he knows will be there to support him.  That is a choice. It is the character he chooses. I choose the same.  We both make a conscious decision through each and every hurdle to remind ourselves that the hurdle is our own to jump, along with our cheerleader standing beside us to help us down the track.   We have chosen to rely on each other as teammates, we choose each day to tackle it all together.  We choose to take the “me” out of “we” and we are dedicated to remembering and honoring who we are as individuals that makes up one half of that “we”.  He is a cop. He will never be here as much as I would like. He will never be available on demand.  He will always have struggles that I cannot understand.  He will always have stresses which are not related to my own.  He will always have a past with his ex.  He will always have memories that are not my own.  He will also always have what he chose in me.  He will always have that fire in his heart which caused him to seek me out in the first place, unless he grows into a different person.  He will always have that which he originally loved in me, because I will continue to choose to be that person who had all the baggage and fear and anger and cynicism but chooses to live in love and positivity despite it all.  I will always be that person he fell in love with because regardless of what life has hurled at me, God has continued to hurl more blessings at me than I can count, and I will choose to be mindful of that daily.  

Regardless of everything I’ve been through, the importance is in remembering what I’ve been brought through…. And what I’ve chosen to learn from it and how I’ve chosen to use all those experiences to remind me to try each day to be a better person than yesterday.  Personal responsibility; owning your own actions; living with character despite emotional pain.  They say you are what you eat….. I believe you are what you live. I choose to remember how blessed I am.  I choose to remember how amazing it is to have someone to share that with. I choose to remember the worth of my partner and I choose to respect the "we" that we have built together.  I choose to own my role in it and I choose to love my life. Food for thought.   ©TPWL

I look back at my own words over the last year and see the recurring theme; how to handle being a LEOW. How to handle constant change, how to be flexible, how to maintain your sanity in the face of your own fears; how to stay calm through adversity.  I talk about being patient, being kind, being forgiving. I’ve talked about learning to give before expecting to receive. I’ve talked about the rewards received when you eliminate selfishness from your mentality.  I’ve talked about having faith, being honest, owning your own faults, accepting your weaknesses and growing through them until they become strengths.  I’ve talked about being strong, being independent, being capable. I’ve talked about letting go and let God. I’ve talked about knowing your limits, knowing when to step back, take a break, allow your LEO to be your backup, your superhero.

I’ve found myself at that end of the spectrum, that place where you realize you are all about preaching and not practicing, all about supporting and not accepting; all about helping others to find their way while you stand still on a dead end road.  I’ve found myself being forced to acknowledge the vast difference between wants and capability; the difference between your dreams of change, your hopes and visions of a better future; your belief that somehow, someway the world can still be stirred enough to evolve……and the reality that all that you’ve dreamed of is as easy to reach as lassoing the moon.

I’ve realized that regrets are useless until they invoke enlightenment. I’ve realized that enlightenment without the next leap of fate is futile. I’ve come to terms with the fact that failure is a part of everyday reality, but it is the knowledge and strength you gain from failure which drives you to determined achievement.

I’ve learned that you can never change the past, but the future is always in your own hands.  I’ve learned that self-pity is nothing more than fear of accomplishment. I’ve learned that low expectations are a form of personal protection. I’ve learned that forgiveness is more about allowing yourself to move forward than allowing those who have hurt you to be free from guilt they most likely never possessed.  I’ve learned that goals and aspirations are attainable only as long as you ignore those who desire to relish in your demise.  I’ve learned you are only as worthy as the worth you see in yourself. I’ve learned ambition is tireless and complacency is deadly. 

I’ve learned that moments are to be treasured, memories are made of moments, true love is unconditional and time does not heal all wounds. I’ve learned that loving unconditionally is not always painless but is always prosperous, although not always realized in the manner you expected.  I’ve learned at times you must walk away from what you have always known in order to find the path which has been waiting for you all along. I’ve learned that faith is blind and requires you to trust your own instinct.  I’ve learned honesty is always the best policy as without it you are continually falsifying your own character.  I’ve learned character is defined not only by actions but by intent.  I’ve learned that owning your faults is the best path to conquering your own personal obstacles. I’ve learned acceptance of self is the first step to personal growth.  I’ve learned that facing your fears is a step towards peace. I’ve learned that peace only comes from resignation of the past and the release of fault, whether by others or yourself.  I’ve learned that contentment is priceless and gratitude is invaluable.

One thing I’ve left to learn is how to accept that which cannot be changed.  How to relinquish control of what you thought you knew as truth. How to resign yourself that time only moves forward and regardless of how forgiving and accepting and tolerable you are, it is still that which can never be changed that haunts us.   And it is then that you find yourself right back where you started, relearning all you have come to know again….until you make peace with yourself and are able to let go, forever learning, forever growing. We can always do better.

She sat in the floor of their closet staring at his uniforms, clad in the plastic dry cleaner bags, untouched.  He would wear a uniform out before putting together a new one.  It was almost bad luck to him. He settled into those uniforms, the wear and tear from his duty belt proof of his dedication to his work.  She would often encourage him to break in a new one and yet he resisted. As much as he desired to be sharp and crisp and perfectly pulled together, a new uniform was like unknown territory to him. It wasn’t broken in or comfortable and it left him off his mark, like a new pair of shoes being worn on the biggest race day of a runner’s career.  A slight smile washed across her face at the thought of all his particulars. She picked up the bristled brush from the shoe box he used to shine his boots each day before heading out to shift, running her fingers through it, soaking up the smell of shoe polish which lingered in the air. Her eyes wandered to the empty hook above her head which held his duty belt and the empty hanger which held his uniform shirt. Empty. That’s exactly how she felt as well.

Another sleepless night, like so many before, trying to make sense of it, trying to bring justice to it, she struggled just as she had for years. Not knowing what to do, how to feel, what to say, she tried to shut the thoughts and visions and memories from her mind.  Everything he had told her for years, now seemed to be unavoidably true. For all the times she tried to talk sense to him, for all the nights she tried to calm him, for all the days she tried to convince him he did all he could, she now felt the despair he felt. Hopelessness. Anguish. Failure.  She now truly believed she understood what she had tried so desperately to convince him wasn’t real for years.  It was real. It would forever be real.  There was no more escaping it.

The frozen air and blinding wind of a Chicago morning in January took his breath away. He pulled his stocking cap down over his ears as he reached for his gun and crept around the side of the house.  The call had come in as shots fired.  Multiple neighbors reporting the same but no one actually seeing anything out of the ordinary.  He lingered a bit as he waited for backup but he knew he had to go in without waiting. No cars in the drive, no lights on in the house, yet something screamed at him that it wasn’t right. It was very, very wrong and he felt it. As he approached the door, his flashlight shining in the window, he saw nothing. No signs of foul play, no signs of life at all….and that’s what made his hair stand on end. His gut told him someone was in there, but who? Alive? Dead? Lying in wait? Was this one of those fake 911 calls to entice an officer into an ambush? He didn’t know what to think about that feeling in his gut. Just then another gust of blustery wind rushed up against his back and onto the porch and his eyes moved as the front door inched open with the burst of wind.  An invitation to the madness. Now at an ever heightened sense of alert he questioned going in alone. He knew backup was only minutes, possibly seconds away, but the open door proved too powerful as it lured him inside. No one could have ever anticipated what he would find.  For the first time in fifteen years of exposure to death and destruction and mayhem he found himself rushing to the closest toilet as he vomited up the vision which was just permanently and forever seared in his mind.

They hadn’t been as close lately. For whatever reason, call it life or stress or hectic schedules. Honestly he knew about the marriage problems. Their wives talked and frankly he was annoyed at the stress it placed on his own wife. They used to be inseparable. They were like brothers, not just in blue, they were like blood brothers. Best friends for years, they knew everything about each other. No secrets, no lies, nothing to hide…or so he believed.  They were Godfathers to each others children. They went on family vacations together. They were partners for nine years, but lately there was a distance. Maybe it was just him being annoyed, maybe it was the chaos of everyday life, but he just didn’t pay much attention to the change in his partner.  Truth be told, he dismissed him. He had even joked with his wife that it was like a nine year itch, perhaps it was time for a new model.

His partner had called in sick. He had called to check on him, no answer. Par for the course lately he thought.  But not now. Everything had changed in a heartbeat and nothing could make any of this real. Nothing could make any sense of it. There had to be more. There had to be a reason.  As he was pulled from the bathroom by his colleagues who had arrived on scene it began to hit him. It was real. It was true. This was no dream.  His best friend and partner had eaten his service weapon, his head half blown off inside the home of his mistress who lay dead in a pool of blood on the floor. His one eye left, open as if to say "where were you?"  He didn’t know whether to feel disgusted or angry or overwhelmed with sadness.  His wife…..dear God, his wife and babies. How was he going to tell her?  As the reality of what was to come washed over him, thinking of the pain his partner’s wife would endure, he felt more lost than he had ever felt before.

As the years went by he could never shake it. He felt an overwhelming sense of failure. How could he not know? How could he be so out of touch? He felt guilt for being so absorbed with his own family, he felt guilt for dismissing his partner’s conversations about the issues in his marriage. Every Birthday and holiday and anniversary date would leave him physically ill for his partner’s wife and children. He felt guilt for every date he should be celebrating in his own life.  He felt anger, he felt lost, he had so many unanswered questions.  It took a toll on his marriage. For as much as he loved her, he didn’t feel he deserved happiness.  For as much as she tried to comfort him, he pushed her away.  For as much as his babies loved him, he couldn’t get past the guilt for those left without their daddy.  He turned to the bottle first, but it was too risky. He had to feed his kids.  He ended up doctor shopping for prescriptions to numb the pain legally.  His dedication to his duty started to wane as did the duty to his family.  He ended up on administrative leave for a bit, then scraped his way back to duty.  He ended up on the couches of friends, or women for weeks at a time, then managed to inch his way back into her life. Each time she would confront him he would rage with defensiveness in an attempt to avoid his truth.  She begged him to seek help. He refused. His anger ever growing, her patience ever fading, he returned home one day to changed locks and a court order taped to the door of the home they built together.  

Too much.  It was all too much to bear. He had lost the only thing he had left. No one to comfort him. No one to wake him when the nightmares wouldn’t stop. No one to try endlessly to convince him it wasn’t his fault. He had pushed her too far. He had expected too much. He had once again, failed the one who meant so much to him. There was no escaping, in his own eyes he was nothing but a failure.

She sat in the floor of their closet, looking up at the empty hook and hanger, knowing she would never see the uniform he wore when he took his life. She wept as she wondered how they would go on without him. For as much as she could no longer tolerate his behavior, for as much as she couldn't tolerate his indiscretions, she never stopped loving him, he was the love of her life. She just needed him to get help. If she had known… if she had ever thought for one minute….

Her head in her hands as she wept for him, for the times they shared, for the times she dismissed him, for the moments she ignored him, for her own mistakes he had forgiven, for the memories they made, for the children he left behind. Her heart broken knowing the sacrifices he had made all those years for so many in need. All those he helped, all those who had hated him, all those who had mocked him, all those who had turned their back on him simply because of his badge…. And now, because he could take no more he wouldn’t even be honored for the good he did. He would only be remembered for that one moment he couldn’t take the pain any longer.  And there she was, in the floor of their closet, left to feel she had failed him, left to carry the pain, left to carry the weight, left to find a way, somehow, to ensure her children knew he was a hero.  She vowed that day to teach her children there was always a light after darkness. There was always a better tomorrow. There was always a reason to keep moving forward. And she prayed each night she was strong enough to believe her own words.  ©TPWL

If you or someone you know is suffering, contact Safe Call Now or 1st Responder Treatment. There are resources. There is help.

She stood in the shower, the warmth of water too hot for her taste falling over her body, as the shock of cool tile hit her back as she collapsed down the shower wall.  She never knew how he could stand such scalding water; he claimed it soothed his sore muscles, while washing away the visions which clung in his memory, even as their remnants were washed down the drain.  Her world had abruptly become unreal, unfathomable.  As she sat in the floor of their shower, in the little house they had worked so hard to make their own, she lifted her head into the stream of hot water, the only confusion which allowed her warm salty tears to collide with the cleansing stream of water, as she prayed for the ache in her heart to be washed away as easily as the residue of this day.  She knew however, nothing would ever wash this pain away. She also knew she could never get back that one moment that would have changed what was now the rest of her life, forever.

The morning started much like most for them.  He, coming off a twelve hour shift, exhausted, dirty, sore, a full moon to boot… he had been counting the hours until 6:00am, although their paths were crossing as he returned home, as least he had a few minutes with her as she got ready for work, he prayed that after the night he had, she would be in a good mood. He needed her, he needed her understanding, her warmth, her touch, if even for a moment.  She had been distant since the shift change to nights, he wished she knew how hard it was for him as well.  Give it a few more weeks, he was sure it was just the adjustment that was causing her coldness.  He had already decided not to mention his close call, no need to cause more discord over the change in shift, and honestly, he felt his lack of sleep and adjustment was more to blame than the suspect.  If he could just get in the door without an argument and get some rest, he knew he would be a whole new man…. again.  Just knowing he was off the next two days was more relief than anything.  His body was tired. His mind was spent.

She was in no mood nor did she have time to entertain him.  She mustered a smile and a hug although she slightly pulled away as he slid his hands up the sides of her face into the back of her hair as he tried to kiss her. “Okay…. Love you! But I JUST did my hair and makeup and no offense, but….you stink.  Take a shower and get some sleep babe, call me at work when you wake up”.    He noticed the clock and although he felt bad for saying anything he couldn’t help himself. He had felt her distancing herself since he was informed of his shift change. He missed her and he couldn’t escape the clear fact that she was not happy to say the least about the change in circumstance.  “Are you leaving early for a reason? I was hoping to have a few minutes to spend with you.”  He saw the change in her face as soon as he said it.  “I‘m leaving early because I have a job. I sleep half awake and alone, in case you forgot, so I’m not exactly on top of my game at work, not that it matters to you.  I’m not leaving early, I’m leaving now so I can try and get caught up since I’m a walking zombie thanks to your new shift, but thanks for your concern!”  She slammed the door to the laundry room on her way out to the garage as he sunk into the chair as he watched her go. 

The water was almost painfully hot as he rested his forehead on the cool tile as the scalding water washed over his tired body. His mind couldn’t erase her anger. He wished she knew how much he missed her, how he needed her, how he appreciated her taking on this life.  He was tired of fighting, tired of worrying about how long he slept, not wanting to miss his call to her on her lunch hour. He couldn’t shake the night before, he knew he was at fault. He should have been more aware of his surroundings, should have had his mind in the right place, thank God it turned out alright, thank God back-up was close enough.  It reminded him he needed to spend some time at the range….better worry about that later; it sure wouldn’t go over well at home now.

His bed was calling, his body was finally relaxing, the last of the hot water beginning to run cold as he heard the dreaded sound…. a callout. Well, of course.   Still half wet he grabbed his dirty uniform off the floor and hurried as quickly as he could out the door.  After several calls about the situation at hand, a domestic gone bad, he tried to call her as he ran hot….. no answer.  He left her a voice mail as he headed to location.

Her boss seemed at a loss for words, appearing at her desk.  It all seemed like the world ground from her stressed filled, fast paced mill into slow motion, each look and word emphasized, yet somehow inside the most chaotic filled moment of her life. As soon as she saw her boss round the corner to her desk with that look she had, she also saw the her worst nightmare converge upon her as the vision of grey shirts and bronze badges and side arms came into view.  Her life flashed before her as she literally saw the line from his “End of Watch” packet in front of her eyes…”Who is your preference to notify you in the event of a line of duty death”….as they both stood in front of her, their eyes red, their tears welled up but being held in reserve for her benefit.  The only memory she had of that moment was clearing her desk with one arm and falling into the arms of her husband’s brothers in blue.

It had been the longest 24 hours of her life.  The initial realization of it all, the ride to the hospital, her begging and pleading with God to change things…. The denial, the refusal of acceptance… and how dare they, how dare they tell me he’s an organ donor?!  Now?!  He’s NOT GONE!!!  As she sat weeping in her shower floor she felt a little ridiculous, she knew he was an organ donor, as was she… it just seemed so wrong at the time.  She wasn’t ready to acknowledge he was gone, it was all too soon.  She wasn’t prepared for this, it wasn’t fair. There were so many things she needed to change. So many things she needed to say.  Oh please dear God, there are so many things I need to say to him…. please.   How can they come in here and talk about cutting him up?  Although it was just hours ago, she felt ridiculous now…this is not how she handled herself.  As the water ran cold she forced herself out of their shower.

My God, the messages, the voice mails, the texts…. she had no intention of listening to any of it. His parents would be there soon enough and no doubt the battle of how to lay him to rest would begin.  She had no doubt that after just two years of marriage, they would have their ideal burial planned for their son.  Never before had she felt so insignificant as she did at this moment, standing in their bathroom, the one they fought over so much.  Tile; honestly….we fought over tile, she thought.  She felt sick to her stomach as the memories of their fights over tile and paint color returned to her.  Oh my God, why did we fight? Why did we tear each other apart?   Oh how I would give him a square sink and black cabinets now.  She scrolled through her phone at the countless messages as his number caught her eye.

“Baby, I got called out, hostage deal. Sounds like a domestic gone bad.  Please don’t let that ever be us. I love you so much, God I hope you know that. I’m sorry about the schedule…sorry about everything lately…  I just hope you know how much I miss us…. I do, I miss us.  I miss you.  I’ll call you when I can, sorry I got called out.  Hey, at least I’m off the next two days.  Maybe we should do something about that, huh?  Mmkay, love you…bye”…….  

   And she was left with that. Forever. She left mad. She left him frustrated. Yes, he had been moody too. He had been short tempered with the change…. But she knew the truth… she let it all get to her. She was mad about it all, she felt neglected, she was lonely, she was tired of sleeping alone.  She let him know it. She felt justified. She was his wife and she was left alone.  And now…… she was alone, forever. She left him, letting him know she was angry, she left him, letting him know she was disappointed.  She knew he loved her….she knew he left knowing she loved him… it didn’t seem to matter at the moment.  She didn’t have the chance to fix it…. she couldn’t change it.  This was it….. this was her last memory.  She knew he would know it was just words…. She knew it was just words….

So why does this seem like forever?   This is her forever.  ©TPWL

A dear friend and Law Enforcement Chaplain asked me if I had any pieces regarding the “Single Parent Syndrome” which comes with life in law enforcement. Which, I do – it’s part of my workshops, but I thought especially with summer when most LEO’s have even more hectic schedules, it might make for a good perspective of the day.

My term for the single parent syndrome is:

“Married Single Parenting – Recurring Circumstantial Guarantees”

There is no doubt, you are married. However, at times there is no denying if you have children in a LEO marriage, you feel like a single parent.

My best written blog article on this issue is “The Big Picture”. If you’ve read my first book, Bullets in the Washing Machine, you know where I’m going with this.

There are several contributing factors to the Married Single Parenting factor in all LEO relationships which involve one or more parents being an Officer; they are recurring factors - as in, they will arise and reoccur often; they are circumstantial factors – as in there may be no rhyme or reason or any dependable way to predict when or where or under what circumstance these factors will occur; they are however, guaranteed to be a part of your life as the parent of a LEO child and the partner or spouse of a LEO parent.  Recurring Circumstantial Guarantees.

There are several things which can be done to (in a way) “train yourself” as a parent of a LEO child and spouse of a LEO to ensure that these recurring circumstances do not cause a strain on your relationship with your LEO, nor cause resentment to build over time within not only yourself, but your child. It all comes back to making a decision to own your emotions during these recurring circumstantial guarantees, and in owning those emotions you can then make a choice – to act or to react.

One of the most recurring statements I hear from new mothers who are the spouses of LEO’s is: “I didn’t get married to be alone and I didn’t have a baby to be a single parent”.  My first response to that statement every time is “But you are married to and have a child with an Officer, so how you choose to handle your reality is now up to you”.

It is a very common and known statement: “Parenting is the hardest job on earth; it’s also the most rewarding”.  I’ve never once heard someone say “Parenting is the most rewarding job on earth, as long as you have adult company and help along the way”.  Just as we’ve all heard the phrase “It takes continual effort to make a marriage work”.  I’ve never once heard “There’s nothing as simple and carefree as marriage”.  So why then, are we prone to get married, have children then resent feeling alone when married to an officer?  Well, there’s also a very common phrase “We’re in this together”, and oftentimes in a LEO marriage you are left feeling very much alone.

All things in in life are about balance. Marriage and parenting are no exceptions.  One of the hardest things, it seems to me, for spouses of LEO’s to overcome is the notion of what their expectation of marriage was, and the reality that their marriage, to a LEO – is far from that expectation.  Our expectations of marriage are oftentimes so tainted by the “fairytale” which often has been engrained in us from childhood – henceforth the phrase “the honeymoon is over!”  Clearly we are not alone in those feelings of being slapped in the face with a reality which does not conform to our expectations or that would not be phrase known worldwide.  Add the badge into that factor and you are in for a whole new level of reality. Add being a parent along with being a spouse of an officer and you’ve just been knocked off an even larger pedestal.  So now what?

Like it or not, there is, and has always been a very no nonsense, no therapy needed solution to the mystery of making marriage and parenting in a LEO marriage (in any marriage really) work…. in my own words… “Selfish Is Not An Option”.  When you remove the “Me” from your thought process, it changes everything.   Now I hear the resounding cry of “No ME?! But I shouldn’t have to lose myself or give up who I am for the sake of WE”.  That’s not what I said.  You can very much have a sense of self and self-worth while approaching your marriage and parenting with a “We” mentality.  You do not have to lose yourself, much the opposite, you can gain a whole new sense of self, independent self, which is still very much committed to the “we” of your marriage and family.  Again, it is finding that balance….and how do you maintain balance?

You cannot balance anything by standing on one side. You cannot balance anything which involves more than yourself, standing alone.  Picture a seesaw in your head. If there is one of you, plus your partner, plus children, you will never find balance unless you equally distribute the weight on each end….and how does that seesaw then operate? One side has to do some work to bring the other side up and down. A seesaw is a balancing act and you will never operate one with only “ME”, there must be “WE”…..but part of that “WE” is YOU.  You cannot lose your sense of self to make the “WE” work.  Make more sense that way?  But it always seems like you’re alone on the seesaw! I hear you all now. 

So, if you are all alone…..where is your partner, and how does he/she feel about you, seemingly being all alone?

I have always approached marriage to my LEO with the constant phrase in my mind: “He doesn’t make the calls that keep him from his family, but he has a duty to answer them”.  There have been many a time I have been home alone, kids sick, me sick – at the same time. I needed him, I needed his help; things would be so much easier if he were home.  Trips to the doctor with kids puking, alone; I needed him. Trips to the ballpark, alone; it felt awkward to see all the other parents together. There have been plenty of times I was having a hard time, I was just plain tired, lonely, bored and where was he? There have plenty of sleepless nights, alone in bed, sometimes through storms or when past memories have left me scared – I needed him, where was he?  No really…..when I take my needs and wants out of the equation, when I remove the “ME”, where was he? 

Was he sitting in a patrol car, tired, hungry, missing his family, counting down the hours and praying a drunk didn’t appear before him ten minutes before he could finally get back to us? Yes, he was.  Was he exhausted, twelve hours into a shift when a call came over the radio of a baby who had drown, or a family strewn about a freeway, in pieces? Was he rubbing menthol under his nose in 105° heat while standing over the bloated bodies of an abusive husband who murdered his family, then himself....five days earlier? Was he sitting at a road block, angered at the call that came over the radio that another officer called in sick, therefore leaving a shorthanded Sergeant looking to him to cover? Was he so shaken after stepping around a dark corner only to be fired upon in the dead of night, or so taken back by the scuffle which came from nowhere, finding himself fighting for his own weapon, that he took his day off and spent it at the range, practicing, when he could have been home? Did you even wonder why they spend time off practicing? They don’t tell you everything…..for a reason.  Did he come home to you again, finally, yet immediately fall asleep?  Are any of those recurring circumstantial guarantees what makes you say “where was he?”  if so, are they less important than what had you asking “what about me?”

We’ve all heard the phrases “Love is give and take” and “You get what you give”.  I guarantee whomever came up with those two phrases had a failed marriage in a short amount of time.  Those statements should be combined and rephrased as “Love is you give and you will receive”.  My very favorite bible verse says it all: 

Love is patient, love is kind, It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but love rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And now with faith, hope and love abide, but the greatest of these, is love.  1 Cor. 13: 4-13.

That is what it takes.  Selfish is not an option.  You cannot do any of those things with expectations in return.  Love is not “I will give as long as I get back”. Love is not “I can only give so much and get nothing in return”. Love is not conditional. Period.  In a LEO marriage you may give and give and give some more before your LEO has the opportunity to give back. Your LEO may not be able to give back equally, what if he/she can’t?  What if you have the capacity and hours and fortitude and ability to give more?  Do you keep a score sheet?  Do you love your LEO only enough to stay even? Do you love only as much as you feel you get in return?  If the truth of love is as that verse says above for you, does that mean you are slighted if you don’t feel the same in return?  And are your “feelings” the reality of your LEO’s ability?  When you put that verse in the lap of your LEO – is he purposely going out of his way to NOT love you, or not give back, or not be available? Or are the recurring circumstantial guarantees of his duty preventing him from being able to keep the score even? And…..is he to blame?  Should you love him less, or differently or hold resentment against him because of the circumstances which he has a duty to deal with? Should he pay? Will that make the nights less lonely? Will it keep drunks off the street? Will it satisfy your feelings of lacking to give him the cold shoulder, start an argument, distance yourself or make your LEO into the bad guy who is unavailable to your children? 

Do you sacrifice self for the sake of another?  Your LEO does every day. You LEO sacrifices time with family, misses holidays, spends lonely nights on the streets, is exposed to tragedies which leave permanent emotional scars, consistently has meals missed, time off taken away, moments interrupted, anticipations crushed…..and your LEO is called to his/her duty. It is not something they sign up for, it is something that is within them. It is who they are.  Could you make those daily sacrifices; be disrespected by most, hated by many, consistently unappreciated?  Can you look at your duty to your LEO and say you will only fulfill that duty conditionally? You will give what you get.  You will give when you have something to take? Or can you sacrifice yourself for the sake of “we”?  Can the “me” in you think of “we” when it is YOU who has the duty to hold up the end of the seesaw? Or will you jump off and let it come crashing down?  The seesaw is a balancing act….the ups and downs come easy, the balancing in the middle is what takes the effort. 

Things which will make Married Single Parenting easier:

1. Always remember your LEO does not make the calls, but they have a duty to answer them.

Your job as a spouse and parent are universally revered as two of the most desirable and important positions one can ever hold.  Have you ever heard of anyone looking at a cop and saying the same? Would that put a damper on how you did your duty if it were true?  If someone were to say to you “Marriage and parenting is awesome unless you’re married to a cop” would you decide to be less dedicated to either?  Your LEO is told daily how worthless he/she is in society, so much so that people seek to extinguish him/her from the planet.  Wonder how it feels to come home to a spouse and family letting you know exactly how much you have neglected them and their needs while you were away?

2. Before you REACT, think about how to ACT to find a resolution.  When those recurring circumstantial guarantees interrupt your life, before you react in the moment, think about how your actions will impact your marriage and family, and instead act accordingly to find the positive and eliminate the negative….the first step in that, is removing any selfish tendencies.

3. Never play the blame game.  If you have resolved yourself to the fact that your LEO has a duty to answer those calls, don’t blame them for doing their job, or for being who they are.  Any time you expect someone to change who they are to fit your needs, you are not living in love. You are reacting out of selfish want.  Do not inflict your personal frustrations onto your LEO.  Do not blame them for being late, or being called out or for the feelings of fear or loneliness of frustration you feel because they answered the call.  Do not give the cold shoulder because you didn’t get what you feel you gave.  Continue to give, continue to love, continue to be selfless and your LEO will recognize and appreciate your efforts, and not feel guilty for not being enough for you. In turn, you will receive all they have to give, when they have the opportunity and ability to give it.

4. Be your LEO’s biggest cheerleader and teach your children the same.  LEO children grown up with their LEO parent being unavailable due to many recurring circumstantial guarantees. Teach them the reason they are not available are circumstantial, not fundamental.  Teach them the importance of their LEO parent’s duty. Teach them their parent isn’t away for no reason, but for a very significant reason. Raise your children to respect their LEO parent as the hero they truly are.  If you want society to respect and revere and value your LEO, don’t ever teach your own children differently.  Never, ever make your LEO the bad guy for not being available, even in the most disappointing of circumstances. To a child, those REACTIONS leave a lasting impression which will lead to resentment which in honesty, is born only from your selfish reaction out of emotion in a moment of frustration.

5. Make memories out of moments.  Teach your children that it is quality of time, not quantity. Learn to be flexible. Show your children that dinner can be five minutes in a parking lot. Teach your children that even if they only saw their LEO parent for five minutes that day, that the hug and kiss and “I love you” should be cherished, not resented. There is no guarantee for another hug or kiss or five minutes, it is up to you to teach your children to cherish the moments, to appreciate time together, not focus on time apart.  They learn from you. You are molding them, you are their example.  You can raise them to respect the importance of LEO life or you will raise them being selfish, bitter and resentful children, based solely on how you portray their LEO parent to them.  Their LEO parent has the duty to be the best parent they can be in the time they have available, if they do not fulfill that role, that needs to be on them, not something created or contributed to by you.

6. Lose the stigma of getting help. There are many LEO marriages and families in distress. Many cannot cope or deal with the stresses which come with this life. Many spouses of LEO’s are living in abusive situations. Many LEO’s are living in marriages with spouses who are selfish. It is a two way street on the dark side of our thin blue line. Many don’t want to address it.  There is infidelity, drug use, alcoholism, abuse and distress in many LEO marriages. There are marriages that cannot be saved and shouldn’t be. There are however, many, many LEO marriages which can be salvaged and thrive when circumstances are given a true perspective and measures are taken MUTUALLY to resolve those issues. BOTH parties, when willing to commit to change, which may involve professional help, can in many cases get back to the love they once had.  Another step which involves sacrifice of self; selfish pride is one of the biggest contributing factors to the demise of salvageable marriages.

This life may not be a bed of roses. It may be something completely different than what you expected. You are here now. What will you choose to do? How will you choose to approach this life? Will you dedicate yourself to living positively, regardless of circumstances which could allow you to react negatively?  Living and loving selflessly, while maintaining your own sense of importance in your role in contributing to the emotional well being of all those in your family will bring you benefits in return which could never be tracked.  Mutual dedication, love and respect in a marriage does not come with a scoreboard. It is much like a playing field……and you can choose to work together on the same side for the win, or you can take opposite sides and play against each other until the game is over. The choice however, must begin with your decision to put your “ME” into the “WE” of your life.  ©TPWL

Monsters in the night; they continued to make their presence known to her. Despite his efforts to conceal them, despite his attempts to bury them, there they were. 

It was as usual; him arriving home, late as always. She used to ask if it was a drunk driver or if that accident on the news was what kept him, she no longer had to.  Their years together in this life of law enforcement let her know, just by the gait of his walk, the movement of his body, she knew.  He would arrive home, sit in the chair he still scolded her for paying too much for but longed to sink into after a shift gone bad, his head rested in his hands, rubbing that bald head as he looked at his boots, almost wishing they would remove themselves. 

They had their own language.  He spoke in full sentences just by catching her eye.  She responded with three simple words which said all that needed to be said in that moment… “I love you”.  It said everything he needed to hear and he knew it meant so much more.  They said enough, with his eyes, with her simple words, to communicate volumes.  It was what he needed and it was what she had learned to give, together with what she needed to reserve for the moment.  There were times, here and there, that she would notice he had already removed his boots before entering the house… she knew exactly why and took that as her cue to pay extra attention to his mood.  She had learned the one thing he would not bring inside their haven was someone else's remains.  She would find herself watching him, as he lugged himself to the bathroom, the sound of Velcro a double edge sword as he removed his vest.  That sound, the ripping of the Velcro, held so much symbolism.  The ripping of Velcro after a shift was the sweetest relief, the proof of a safe return, a twelve hour long anticipated proof of life.  Velcro before a shift invoked immediate anxiety which was quickly put in its place.  A battle cry of sorts…. The ripping and replacing the Velcro - just so… perfectly so; armor, protection, an added chance of victory against an unstoppable enemy.

The mirror in their bathroom gave her a view from a distance.  As she lay in bed waiting on him to collapse she would watch him. On a good day he would balance his phone on top of the shower door, his playlist helping him decompress, she couldn’t help but smile as he did his best imitation of voice and dance as he let go of all he carried home on his shoulders that day.  On a bad day she would find herself holding back tears as she watched him rest his forehead on the shower wall, the steam rising as he tried to allow the scalding water to wash away the nightmares forming in his mind of a day he knew and she knew, he could never erase.   Today was one of those days.  The bad days.

She watched him, studied him…. It had been years of this, this crazy life of theirs.  She still looked at him with a love even she felt hard to comprehend at times.  Dear God, how she loved him, she felt guilty on the bad days, watching him in the shower, she knew he was struggling, yet still, watching him she longed for his body next to hers.  Intimacy was a second thought at the moment, knowing his state of mind, yet she still longed for his warm skin and strong arms wrapped around her, she allowed him his time….his time to decompress, his time to allow all which continued to spin around and replay in his mind to settle, always knowing settled by no means meant resolved.  She prepared as she watched him, for she knew what was to come.

It would start with mumbling, sometimes a twitch of a leg or an arm.  On a really bad night she would suffer an elbow to her ribs, or on rare occasion she would force him awake as he began to place her in a choke hold, his apologies so profuse as he held her, kissing her over and over as he swore he would never, ever hurt her.  Most times it was just the slide of her foot over to his side of the bed, just enough to stir him, just enough to interrupt the monsters which took over his sleep.  There were times he would wake himself, finding himself sitting straight up, sweating, not knowing what brought him there….he would sink back into peace as he encompassed her with his body.  She would never forget him calling her his “kryptonite”…the one thing he couldn’t overpower, his weakness. She was his refuge, his sanctuary, the one place he could let go of his duty to the public.  She was his haven.  She held those words as close to her heart as she held him.  She knew he needed that escape. She knew she was the one who could give him that…. She also knew she could take it away.   She made it her mission to never take it away.

Tonight was one of the bad nights; the nights when nothing could keep the monsters at bay.  She was never sure who was walking the halls of his memory.  The baby he couldn’t save, the pregnant mother he held as she lay dying in his arms on a cold highway, the teenager he had mentored for years who ended it all with a single shot gun blast to the head.  The gang bangers he found himself facing, outnumbered, waiting for backup, exposed in a battle which he prayed he survived.  Inside a cruiser, trying to end a pursuit before it ended an innocent’s life as he felt the wheels lose traction as he saw pavement coming into sight before he awoke days later wondering why he was in a hospital bed.  She never knew what triggered it, she never knew which monster was visiting, all she knew was his peace, if even momentary, was in her hands.   She gently grabbed his shoulder from behind, slid her hand across his chest….she felt him shake himself awake and look to her in confusion.  His chest, clammy with sweat as she held him and said those three words, plus two, which were the equivalent of his kryptonite…. “I love you…. now sleep”. ©TPWL  Written by Melissa Littles

I will be the first to admit, I am not a realist when it comes to time management, nor am I typically successful in terms of being in five places at the same time, or in creating the extra hours needed in a day to get it all done.  I fail miserably in telling others “no” when I know without a doubt I have far too much on my plate begin with.  Story of most of our lives. We stretch ourselves thin, we overextend ourselves, our jobs at work and home are never ending. Add kids and the schedule of law enforcement life and you can rest assured, feeling like a hot mess in some fashion will be a certainty for most of us.  And one thing which I have to own about myself, I am a control freak who lacks the ability to delegate that which I perceive to be my own responsibilities to those who are willing to help me in my times of stress.  Well, that sounds familiar… hmm?  

So, all that being considered,  when I got that phone call six weeks ago from K9 Lakota’s mom, Corey Fox, introducing me to Chris Carswell and his mom, Janet from 1Boy4Change.org, telling me I had the opportunity to get a service dog for our son, well of course it never dawned on me the extra hours in a day that would require of me.  I had absolutely no clue whatsoever the dedication and time and effort it takes to bond a boy with special needs to a dog with special skills.  And of course, it’s not the dog which requires the extra effort, it’s the boy, who has no intention initially of allowing a dog to do its job. 

But something has happened to me in the past six weeks.  I have been forced to say no to others. I have been forced to focus on what is truly important.  I have been forced to let go of things which turned out to not be the end of the world without my immediate attention. And I have had my eyes opened to so much that was being missed in the midst of chaos and stress of daily life. 

 

I don’t think it matter how it happens, or under what circumstance, as those life moments vary for all of us. However, the key is not missing it.  Listening and learning and stopping ourselves long enough to take in those moments in life that ironically are missed because of life.   I’ve had to change my priorities. I’ve had to slow down and give the time needed to my son and his dog.  I’ve had to say “no” to plenty of people, a lot lately.  I’ve had to walk away from my writing and put things on hold and I’ve had to just accept it for what it is, because it’s what my son needs right now.   In turn I’ve learned how much really can wait. And I’ve been present at the show of life I’ve been missing until recently.

You know…. Life happens.  And, it’s not always pretty.  So many times we say to ourselves “when I have time, when I get done with this, when I get a break, after I get caught up, etc….” and the reality is when we rely on those moments, they will never come.  We will always feel that tug to keep the chaotic ball of life rolling in the order it must so all doesn’t fall apart…that’s human nature.  However, the power is in our hands to prevent the chaos from dictating our lives.  I think we lose that truth under a pile of paperwork or at the bottom of a laundry basket at times.

You know, my dominant personality is at times a little irked about all these life lessons being reiterated to me by a service dog and my autistic son…. But I think that’s the biggest lesson learned of all.  We don’t always know best.  Always learning, always growing. We can always do better.  Food for thought. ~Mel  ©TPWL

For more on Izzy and Kozmo and their progress:   www.facebook.com/IzzyKozmo

We've all heard the phrase..."there's something about a man in uniform". For those who have done nothing more than enjoy the view, there is a lot more to consider before making a decision to be a part of all the uniform entails. Being the wife of a police officer is not for the weak, nor the self centered, nor the needy, clingy, insecure or high maintenance type of woman.

I remember him calling me for the first time on his lunch break from his patrol car. Within ten minutes it became very clear that if a relationship with a police officer was anything like trying to carry on a simple phone conversation with a police officer, challenging was going to be an understatement. Between the radio squawking in the background to the interruptions of other officers talking back and forth, his attention being distracted by passing traffic and the mid-sentence "I have to call you back", which happened at least five times during that first 30 minute conversation, I knew I was in store for something on a whole other level.

Being a police wife or "LEO wife" as we are known, is quite the interesting life. Police marriages fall victim to an extremely high divorce rate, and there is a good reason for that. Let me start off by saying just as in all professions, there is good and bad in everything somewhere down the line. It is true that there are good cops who honor the badge and bad cops who don't. Those who uphold their duty as officers and honor the badge far outweighs those who do not. And those who do not should be held accountable for abusing their power and should be stripped of it and punished accordingly. Just as in all professions, the good cops will tell you they have no appreciation or tolerance for those who misuse their power and in turn, contribute to the negative image many have of the police. It is difficult sometimes even talking to family or close friends about a life in law enforcement due to so many misconceptions of the true character of the majority of officers. Many times you are immediately brushed off by those who really aren't interested in hearing about it because being married to a cop, people either love you or hate you. The fact remains, whether you love cops or hate cops, everyone dials 911 when they have an emergency, and if you are one who considers the police an enemy, you are still the first to expect them to be there to assist you. Regardless of your opinion of them, they will still be there in your time of need. As the saying goes....."Hate cops? Next time you're in trouble, call a crackhead." Let me know how that works out. That being said, I, like so many other LEO wives, am married to a good cop. This is our story.

The abnormalities of a LEO wife's day begin with the shift. We do not base our days on normal hours, our days coordinate with whatever shift our LEO is working. There is no such thing as a standard 8 hour day in the life of a LEO or a LEO wife. In an average week you will have several days where the end of his shift comes many hours after it ended. A simple traffic stop turns into a drug bust, another officer calls for backup, there is a multiple vehicle collision and they need more officers. A LEO wife learns to cook dinner for her family, and keep a plate warm in the oven. In a LEO household dinner can be midnight or later, breakfast is at lunchtime, and lunchtime can be as late as 9:00p.m. There are many times I will try and meet my husband somewhere for "lunch" only to be left waiting because a call came in while he was in route to eat, or I will end up going home without ever seeing him at all. Times he will plan to come in for dinner are often thwarted for the same reasons. All that effort you put in marinating that steak, or fixing his favorite dessert will most times go unnoticed. You will put your children to bed most nights alone while explaining that Daddy loves them, he's just out making sure we're all safe. You will sleep with one eye open, both ears focused on the sound of the garage door and your cell phone on your pillow. Your children will learn to recognize the sound of the garage door opening at a very early age, and they too will sleep a little better after Daddy comes in and kisses their little cheeks.

Holidays, special occasions, anniversary's and birthdays are just days you must be prepared to work around. My LEO works lake patrol in the summer months. For us, there is no such thing as the Fourth of July or Memorial Day or Labor Day. We will never be available for the family reunion or summer picnic on any of those three day weekends. If you want to take your children to see fireworks, be prepared to go alone because not only does he work all weekend, he is working mandatory overtime 12-16 hour shifts. And although if he does have seniority he can actually get the holiday off, chances are he will sign up to work overtime, trying to get ahead just a little bit....after all, one may think you would get a little more money in the bank by walking around with a bull's eye on your back for a living, but for some reason, all that public service comes at one heck of a bargain.

Trying to have a date night is always interesting. You will wait longer to get a table where he can face the door. You will watch him scope out the lobby on the way in for anyone he has previously arrested and you will not get through the meal without another officer calling his cell. You will be grateful if you can keep him awake after you get home, as chances are you squeezed in date night after a shift anyway, and you will learn to not take it personally when even at your best, you cannot compete with his exhaustion.

Grocery shopping or trips to crowded locations can become a game of "I spy a felon". You quickly learn the "aisle over" strategy. When your LEO suddenly announces "don't turn around" or "we need to get out of this aisle now" or "wait, wait, wait....ok go, go, go", your instincts may be to want to know who we are avoiding and what the story is behind it, but you will learn quickly to follow instructions and ask when you get to the car. You will also get the "walk away" lesson. If you are ever with your LEO in public, especially with your children and you are told to "take the kids and go" or "walk the other way now", you will learn to shake off the instinct to remain by his side, and without question, you will do as you are told. This is not a control issue by any means and you will learn to recognize there is a very big difference between your husband being controlling by ordering you around and your LEO husband recognizing a situation in which he needs to protect you from those that recognize and hate him, and those he does not ever want to recognize you as his wife when he is not with you.

You will also learn to laugh at things you never imagined, such as the phrases only a LEO family could consider "normal"....."Honey, another hooker peed in my car, I have to go by the City garage and hose out the back before I come home"......"Honey, I've got 10lbs of pot to inventory, I'm going to be late, oh and head's up, there's blood all over my shirt". "Honey, there are a bunch of cows in the road by the tracks, I've got to run some traffic control before I can get home"...."Honey, some idiot is naked at the sno cone hut, hey did you know they have coconut now?".

You will learn that even when you are having a really bad day and you just need his shoulder to lean on or his ear to bend, you may have to wait. And when you do have the chance to vent be prepared to be hung up on, interrupted or only partially paid attention to or heard over the noise of the radio, which never stops and is always heard first. When you accept that your needs will have to wait until the end of the shift, be prepared to have him snoring almost instantly as you begin to finally vent.

You will find a way to tune out those "breaking news" alerts on the local news when he is on duty. Whereas in the beginning you would instantly call his cell to make sure he's alright, over time you have learned that he won't answer if he's in the middle of something and calling only to get no answer will really leave you worried that he's hurt or in trouble. You will learn to remember that he is also fully aware he is on the nightly news and will call you as soon as he can.

You will learn not to ask how his day was. He will share what he needs to, bottle up what he has to and act like everything is fine when it isn't. You will know when it was a bad day without asking and you will be there if he chooses to share, but you will learn that not sharing does not mean not caring. It just means reliving it is not appealing before dinner, and some of the horrific images embedded in his mind he would love to find a way to forget.

You will learn that a Police Officer lives his life on duty. There is never a time he does not feel compelled to be alert and as the saying goes "prepared for anything, anytime, anywhere". You will learn not to be annoyed at his repeated instructions to "be aware of your surroundings", "watch your speed", "park close to an exit" and "never let the gas light come on in your car". Although there are times you want to scream "I AM NOT A TEENAGER, I GET IT!", you will learn that it is just the way he is wired as he sees so much that he never wants to happen to you and your children.

Being the wife of a Police Officer means you must be as dedicated to his love of the job as he is. The first step toward that order is realizing it is not a job to him. It is who he his. There is a reason Police Officers choose a profession with low pay, horrible hours, immense stress, non-existent holidays and a huge potential for danger. It is because they are called to duty. They are compelled by a desire to help those in need, to make a difference....to protect and serve. Being the wife of a LEO means having a mutual respect and understanding of that fact and being willing to make the continual compromises and sacrifices to enable your LEO to be able to head off into the night in the best frame of mind he can possibly have.

Being a LEO wife means putting your husband first, not out of a sense of duty or out of submission or control, but out of love and respect for all he faces each time he walks out the door. You will learn to understand that being frustrated is normal, but being resentful and angry is not an option. Things that are a huge deal to most wives such as holiday traditions, the perfect birthday party, the family photo shoot scheduled for weeks, a date night you spent a month looking forward to, the biggest football game of your son's high school senior year, your baby's first ballet recital....all of those things to a LEO wife are considered just something else she may end up dealing with alone. Frustrating? Absolutely. Disappointing? Always. Worth sending your LEO out into danger knowing you are furious with him? Never. A LEO wife will learn to hold her tongue, tell him she loves him, kiss him goodbye, and say a prayer that he comes home so she can yell at him later. We are human, we still want what we want, but we learn to see the bigger picture.

My three year old son loves his Daddy. You will find more "PoPo" cars in the toy chest than any other toy. He idolizes his father and even at only three years of age, he understands there is something about what Daddy does that makes it a big deal. When Daddy leaves for a shift my son MUST go to the driveway and wave good-bye as Daddy turns on his lights and pulls away. It is a ritual that our son came up with all on his own. My son can also instantly recognize the sound of the garage door and knows the difference between the sound of Daddy's engine and that of his teenage sisters. He will stop anything he is doing and run for the door when he knows Daddy is home. Nights that we spend alone we pray together that Daddy will help keep everyone safe and that he will come home soon. My son always asks me to "promise" that Daddy will come see him when he gets home if he is asleep. They say children can sense things and I absolutely believe he understands there is a reason it is a big deal when Daddy leaves and an even bigger deal when he returns.

There are many many times I wish for a moment of selfish indulgence. Although I cannot remember the last time I wished for something just for me. Instead I wish for "us". I wish for no radios or pagers or on call weekends. I wish for alone time and snuggle time and quiet moments of peace. I wish for certainty of safety and a guarantee of growing old together. I understand no one has that guarantee and most couples with children and careers and busy lives wish for the same things, but for me it seems so constantly unattainable. Oddly, you would think that the longer you have been married to a LEO, the easier it gets. For me at least, it seems to get more difficult in certain ways. The longer I am with him, the more I see, the more I know and the more it makes me realize how real the dangers can be. Being supportive of sending your best friend out into danger each day is not always easy but part of being a wife is supporting his dream. I knew from the moment I met him what I was signing up for. I wouldn't trade it for the world. My husband is a wonderful man with a work ethic like no other. He works day and night to support his family and protect his community. He has been called to this line of duty and I am one of those LEO wives who literally beams with pride when I see him in that uniform. He is an amazing father, a loving and supportive husband and as hard as it is to find time for each other, we manage to make it work. He is my best friend and I cannot imagine a day without him in my life.

There are many people out there that view cops as lazy, crooked, donut eating fools with a chip on their shoulders and pride swelling due to a gun toting power trip. As stated above, there are bad people in every profession. There are also good people in every profession. For the good ones, consider and remember this.....Police Officers live each day fully prepared to lay down their lives for any given stranger at any given moment. They spend countless hours away from their family to help protect yours. They will face those persons with nothing to gain when they themselves have everything to lose. They begin each shift knowing it could be their last, and they have the added stress of knowing their spouse and children are home waiting, hoping and praying they never see the Captain at their front door. I love my LEO.

In 2010, 161 officers were killed in the line of duty. 161 sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands and wives who will never kiss their families again. They died protecting and serving the citizens and non-citizens of this country. They died at the hands of repeat offenders, parolees, drunks, drug addicts, political and religious radicals. They died helping innocent people change flat tires. They died responding to traffic accidents and domestic disputes. They were murdered in cold blood making routine traffic stops. They died doing what they were called to do, regardless of the circumstance.

Be grateful for our Police Officers.


A side note....

Since publishing this article, it has been viewed over 250,000 times, shared on Police Department web sites, LEO wife support sites and various Police news and magazine sites. The positive support and feedback has been overwhelming and I would like to add this to simply acknowledge how wonderful it is to see so many LEO's, LEO wives and family members of LEO's be able to relate to so many of the things written in this article. There has also been so much support from all over the US and other countries from people with no connection to any LEO in their families, thanking me for bringing awareness to what life as a LEO and a LEO wife entails. There has been extremely little negativity regarding this article, and I am actually very nicely surprised by that. Out of over 20,000 views and over 100 comments to date, I have received only 3 negative comments, which I did not post, only because I do not want this to become a forum for debate or argument or have anything distract from the purpose of this article. This is not a discussion board, and there is a time and place for debate. I want this article to be an uplifting voice of encouragement and positivity for LEO's and their families.

I do wish to address one comment received, oddly enough, from a LEO wife. Her opinion of this article was that I was trying to gain "glory" and hero status of my own simply for being married to a LEO. She found it appauling that I would make a suggestion about those who have merely "enjoyed the view". She suggested I was imputing a "god-like" status to LEO's and LEO wives and belittling those in other lines of work who make daily, dangerous sacrifices as well. To that I would say, my article is about Police Officers. It is not about oil field workers, firefighters, EMT's, coal miners, loggers, construction workers or the countless others who are in harms way just by going to work each day. I have no reason to write a personal account about that which I do not know. Just as I cannot speak for the countless wives and husbands of our Troops who's daily sacrifices far outweigh that of which the majority of us can comprehend, and to whom I could never express enough gratitude. My article is in honor of my husband and all the other LEO's who are heroes in their own right. Praising one does not equal the diminishing of others. I have never and would never think that what my husband does every day somehow makes what anyone else does less important or dangerous. Or that my role as his wife somehow makes my wife status more important than anyone else's. My comment about those who have simply "enjoyed the view" is made specifically to those who have done just that....looked at all the calendars of hot shirtless cops, or flirted with a police officer to try and get out of a ticket, or for those who simply see a uniformed police officer and shrug with loathsome disrespect. It was meant to say..."there is a whole lot more about that uniform and the character of the man/woman wearing it than you might understand, and you should know if you don't, and be aware if you're not". The entire point of this article is to make it clear that our LEO's are heroes and regardless of all the sacrifices LEO spouses make each day, those sacrifices are well worth making to ensure our heroes have the love and support they need to face what they face each and every shift. There is no question that it takes a certain kind of person to be able to remain consistently patient and understanding and selfless regardless of the circumstance. Do I think that in someway makes me an angel deserving of "glory"? Absolutely not. I do think it is proof positive of my intentions in writing my article....our LEO's need good women/men as spouses to appreciate all that comes with the uniform and all of us fail at times, get frustrated at times and need some encouragement to remain focused...certainly me included. This article is is about being supportive and appreciative despite the multitude of upsets. It is about remembering to appreciate each day and never take it for granted. As stated before, I LOVE MY LEO