Get a Dog

Officer and I had a great time dog sitting this weekend.  As I was enjoying just spending time with my hubby, I couldn't help but think that his back is getting stronger every day and that he will be back out on the streets in a few short months.  I eluded to Officer having back surgery in a previous post, but here's the story:  Officer was chasing a bad guy and "they ran through the briars and they ran through the brambles and they ran through the bushes where a rabbit couldn't go" and ended up in a lake.  Believe it or not, through that ordeal, Officer herniated a disc in his lumbar.  He had spinal surgery and he's been off duty for almost two and a half months.

As his wife, it has been fantastic having him home.  Now, I know what you're thinking - help with the housework!  Ha, not the case.  Officer had to pretty much lie around all of those months, I'm lucky he didn't go stir crazy.  Even though he couldn't help out it, has been so nice to have my husband home on weekends, nights and holidays (not that we've really had any big ones) and to be able to contact him when I need him.  I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for when that is going to change.  When I can't reach him just to chat, when he's working late to catch a bad guy or when I have to spend nights and weekends with out him.  I think that's the biggest adaptation a police wife encounters.  Not having him around during normal hours. 

I grew up with a father that worked for himself - he had made his own hours.  He never missed a holiday, party, birthday, game - anything.  So that's the only example I had to set expectations for a husband.  Guess what?  Officer will miss all of those things - maybe not all in the same year, but his job will keep him from each one of those at some point.  And being a rookie officer, it will be more frequent in this first years.  So what do LEO wives do?  We pull up our bootstraps, snug tight to our families, keep our faith in God, and remind ourselves how much we love our men that go out and sacrifice everything to serve.  And, of course, get a dog.  What doesn't fill a void like a slobbering, wet kiss from a dog?

Officer, if you're reading this, I love you (a lot) and I promise to stand with you.

Wives, what brings you comfort when you're husband isn't home with you during big events, or even the small ones that we take for granted (like dinner)?