For most police officers, firefighters, or military personnel you see out there, there is a spouse and perhaps whole family waiting at home, hoping that today is not the day that the worst possible hazard of their job happens. Regardless of political opinions or personal experiences, we can probably all agree that we don’t want the streets to just suddenly be vacant of authorities, armed forces, or people who literally put their lives on the line to save others. Who else is going to go into that building that is on fire? Or where there has been a bomb threat? Probably not most civilians. We need these forces, but we have to remember that to someone else, that’s a father, mother, son, daughter, spouse, or best friend. The partners of these individuals go through their own terror that may not be better or worse than actually being a police officer or firefighter, but bad in its own right. Here is what it’s like being married to someone with a dangerous job.
“How was your day?” is a loaded question
When you ask your spouse how his day was, you know you’re asking a very complex question. Maybe he…saved a child from a fire or violent situation, but that child’s family is now locked up or didn’t survive. Is that a good day? A bad day?