Like Ships Passing in the Night

Those of us married to LEO's know all too well the meaning of life existing like ships passing in the night. Especially for those of us who work outside the home and our significant other works third shift. The five days that hubby works, I get home from work just in time for him to walk out the door to start his. We give each other a quick kiss and I'm off to break up whatever fight is brewing between the kids or to start dinner and he's off starting his shift. Of course, I'm home on weekends. But, if he is working, he's sleeping for most of the morning and I'm guilty of once he's finished with his beauty sleep, I get out of the house to run my errands, sans kids.


And, that is our life. It's something we accept as a family and have come to live with. Is it ideal? Hell no! There's a reason the divorce rate is upwards of 80% for those married to LEO's. This is definitely not a pity party because as challenging as it is, I've come to accept that this is the way it is and we make the most of it. It's also the only life I've ever really known so I don't feel cheated or that it's unfair.

The most difficult part is having a family life that is different than everyone else. My husband misses out on a lot and it's hard on him. He (and we) have do without dinner as a whole family most nights, the kids' extracurricular activities, weekends, etc. There's also the holiday's we spend alone without him as he is out protecting our community and serving the public. There's a lot of bad press out there against LEO's and that's unfortunate because to be a LEO means they sacrifice so much more than the average person can even fathom. And they do it because they love what they are doing, if they didn't, they wouldn't be in the profession.

As a police wife, I admire and respect all that my husband does on a daily basis. The things he sees and deals with on a regular basis would probably have me curled up in the fetal position in bed, rocking back and forth, sucking my thumb. So, here's a shout out to all the women behind the badge! We are a strong, courageous bunch of women. Don't ever forget that!