Having the person you love being someone who runs towards danger instead of away from it can be really hard. Unfortunately, being married to a firefighter doesn’t come with a handbook. I was inspired to write this blog post because my husband just ran out of the house to a fire call. There’s no way to keep me from worrying about him but there are things that make it seem manageable:
1. We ALWAYS kiss and say ‘I love you’ before he rushes out the door. It doesn’t matter if we’re feeling lovey dovey or in the middle of a heated disagreement; from day one, Kyle has kissed me and said I love you as he exits. I make certain that I tell him to be careful even if he’s only leaving for his shift. 2. I stay off of social media. As a general rule I swear off social media sites when he’s on an actual call. We live in a relatively small town. Most days I love the involvement of our community. People are genuinely concerned about what’s happening here and to one another when they post on social media. If I were to go on Facebook right this moment I can guarantee there would be multiple posts about the fire (or other emergency events that occurs). These posts are prayers, well-wishes, and questions about how they can help. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the good nature of these posts. However, I don’t want to worry myself by keeping up moment to moment. 3. I enthrall myself in distractions. Whether it’s a going for a run, reading a book, talking with my sister, or watching a dramatic show - I throw myself into distraction mode immediately. Right now I am watching Criminal Minds and writing my blog. These activities help keep any anxiety I am feeling at bay. 4. I turn his pager off. If for some reason his pager remains behind on the night stand I promptly turn it off. To me this one is a no brainer. If the social media posts turn up the worry in me the direct play by play from his pager would most certainly do worse. There’s nothing I can do that will make me completely forget what he’s doing or where he’s at. My list are simply the bandaids I apply until he actually comes home.
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AuthorChelsea is a 28 year old operations manager. A Tennessee native she currently lives in the Peace Garden State of North Dakota. Chelsea and her husband are the loving parents of their two little dogs & a cat. In her free time she loves reading, listening to podcasts, and camping. Archives |