Does America not understand that there are scared family members of our Law Enforcement Officer’s around the Country ?
As a wife myself and someone who sends her husband out to walk in these boots that have become so misunderstood, judged, critiqued, criticized, and scrutinized. It’s a frightening thought that America is at “war” with our men and women who do a job that many could not do or would never chose to do.
While, I send my husband out to work in a world where few appreciate and respect him. More want to threaten, bash and be ungrateful that he just left his family that would pay to have him home where they know he is safe and sound to go deal with another family that will only shit on him for what he didn’t do. I’m along with many other wives and husbands the listening ear when he gets home from working a 12 sometimes 16 hour shift. There is no filter when our husbands get home. We wives hear everything.
The yelling, screaming, and crying that you did in his face. The hits, punches, and kicks you tried to do to him. The spitting that you try and do in his face. We hear about the fact that you just loss your child in a tragic accident, about the death of your mother or father, about your teenager being raped and battered by her boyfriend, about the car accident that you were in when, you were hammered drunk and how you were stumbling around. How my husband saved you from hurting yourself or others even further, about the murder of your friend, about the infant that was beaten, about the suicide that he was called to today of your loved one.
We see the hurt, sadness, frustration, anger, in our husbands faces. We feel the emotions that you don’t see when, these men are at your door helping you from a scary, harmful, or dangerous situation. These men who do this job don’t do it because, it was just a spur of the moment type thing. The few that do chose to do the job are men and women who’ve had the dream since they were little. It was a calling for them. They’re not out there patrolling the streets for the money because, as a wife I know he doesn’t get paid near what he should. They don’t do it for the safety that the job guarantees because, I know that any day could be his last. They sure as heck don’t do it just for fun. These men and women are out on the street because, they care for the public.
While, most of America feels like the Police are not being held accountable for certain things lately. That America knows how to do their job better then the actual Police do. That Police are racists, corrupt, killers, shady, among many other things I’ve heard over the past several months. What America doesn’t see are the Officer’s behind closed doors. There are men and women and whole family behind the badge, boots, and uniform that has been made out to be perfect.
America doesn’t even begin to understand the amount of hours both physically, mentally, and emotionally, that these Officers go through just to get to where they are patrolling the streets. For any family member it is one of the most stressful times and yet, exciting times if you are related to an Officer. But, America doesn’t see this. They don’t understand how highly trained these Officer’s are. They don’t understand that the hours that are put in at the Academy and on FTO ( Training on the streets) is literally just the beginning.
Training for these Officers occur all the time. They take the Officer’s away from their families yet, again. As if it’s not enough that these Officers are gone 12 hours sometimes even 16 hours out of the day away from their families. The training that these Officers do to further their education and refresh their skills takes additional time away from spending time with their families. It’s tough on the Officer’s but, it’s a strain on the family members and it’s the ultimate testament as to how much a spouse is in love with someone to live this life style that so many women and men know as the life of being with a Policemen.
America has forgotten that while, these Officer’s are wanted, needed, and sworn to go out and protect and serve the streets of our Country. We wives and husbands also want them home where we know they are safe and sound. That’s more true now then ever. We send our Officer’s off to a job on a daily basis that is highly dangerous and demanding. We send them off knowing that, there are others that also need them and maybe even more then we do. America needs to remember every single time an Officer shows up at their door step, car wreck, death of a family member, domestic violence, etc. That there is a wife at home with his children. A mother, father, son, grandfather, grandmother, etc. Out there in the world that wants this Officer’s safe return home.
It’s easy to forget us wives. While, it is easy we shouldn’t be forgotten. We are the reason why, our husbands are at your beck n’ call. Our nights are spent worrying as soon as he walks out that door. Our mornings are spent spending time alone with children trying to be quiet so, that he can be 110% for you that night. Our afternoons are spent letting our children be with their daddy. Lack of sleep isn’t from being sick it’s worrying about our husbands and if we’re going to hear his foot steps come in the door and the door shut behind him
None, of us chose this life. We signed on for it knowing , who we were falling in love with. So, don’t feel sorry for us because we don’t regret the life we live. We just want you to understand that we hurt when our Officers hurt. Show some appreciation to our loved ones. Loved ones that we want at home. Where they are safe and sound. The men that we as wives love aren’t a badge and boots to us. They are husbands, fathers, sons, and grandsons, cousins and nephews. They are men that we admire and don’t take for granite.
The next time you want to bash a Policemen. Think about who they are leaving behind at home to be with you. Instead of bashing them … take a minute to thank them. Because, really… what would you do without them. They are the reason we have safety on our streets. It’s so disheartening as a wife to see the pain that our Officers are feeling of not being appreciated.
Time to wake up. Realize that Cops are humans and wonderful human beings doing the toughest job out there.
Show them some respect and appreciation.
Please!
Sincerely,
An Officer’s Wife
Stop the Cop haters 