I Am...

I Am A Fireman's Wife

The table is set, the meal is prepared,
and our guests will soon arrive.

My husband once more disappears,
with the hope of keeping a child alive.

While waiting at home alone,
our plans have gone awry.

My first response is to
sit right down and cry.

But soon again I realize
the importance of my life,
When I agreed to take on the duties
of being a fireman's wife.

While there may be drawbacks,
I'll take them in my stride,
knowing "My daddy saved a life,"
our children can say with pride.

The gusting winds and raging flames
may be his final fate,
But with God's help I can remain
my fireman's faithful mate.
-Anonymous

Please take a few minutes to watch this video. It's beautiful.




I've just been thinking a lot lately...about all kinds of things...and one of the things that has been crossing my mind the most is my husband. I'm so proud to be his wife. When we first started dating and things were becoming more serious I had to consider his profession...a firefighter...it means many hours away at one time, many missed birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, children's school plays, and it also means that he can be taken away from me without even a moment's notice. I know this can happen to anyone but his job increases the chances of this greatly! I had to think about if I could handle it...emotionally and physically. I won't lie, when I am on the phone with him in the evenings that he is at work and I hear the alarms sound my heart literally stops...knowing THIS could be the last time I hear his soft voice say "I love you babe, gotta go." I've spent plenty of nights waiting for him to call just to know he's safe. I've felt the real fear of turning on the evening news just to see a blazing three alarm fire in his district...knowing MY husband and our children's father is IN that building engulfed with huge orange flames. I've seen "the look" on his face when he has come home from a long night...and some body's life was lost. I see the pain in his eyes and the guilt that he shouldn't feel. I've heard him say "but they were JUST babies...they shouldn't of had to die." And I've seen the burns on his face....and the charred bunker gear because the fire was just THAT hot...and I've heard the stories he will never tell me..."the ceiling caved in on him." My husband is a very quiet man...a man of so few words. He tries his best to never bring home his work. He doesn't brag that he's a firefighter...he doesn't wear his fire t-shirts just so people will know what he does. You won't hear him sit around with the guys and tell "war stories" on the weekends...I believe he does this to protect his family. He doesn't want US to know what happens inside of those dark, smokey, hot buildings...because he knows this wife of his would never sleep a wink again! I worry about my husband and his fire brothers from the time he walks out the door until the time he returns. I'm so thankful for him and all of the other firefighter's that aren't given enough credit. These guys save life's everyday!! Only to be treated poorly...you never hear about the burned bunker gear, the skin burns, the missed meals, the no sleep in over 24 hours part of their job...all you hear on the news is "it took the fire dept too long to get here! That's unacceptable!" You try driving a fire truck through heavy traffic...and through traffic where nobody yields for your screaming sirens and flashing lights. You try getting through iron burglar bars on doors and windows. I encourage you all to stop for just a second and say a prayer for these everyday hero's. Our firemen, policemen, and EMT's are so under appreciated....and far under paid. I think many people would be SHOCKED to hear a firefighter's salary. I love you honey...and you are MY everyday hero!