"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." - John 15:13 (NJKV)
In 2004, my mother decided to fill out an application to join our local volunteer fire department. I remember my mom being so nervous yet excited about this new, but vastly different chapter in her life. Now, let me give you a bit of information about the woman I am proud to call "Mom." My mom, for most of my young life, was a stay at home mom; she cooked, she cleaned, she was a member of my elementary school's PTA, while my dad was an assembly line worker at the old Ford Motor Company plant in Hazelwood, Missouri. We lived comfortably and there was no need for her to work, so obviously she would get bored and want a hobby, right? Not many women pick up firefighting as a hobby, but I'm so happy she did.
5. You Learn To Appreciate Her More.
There's definitely a fear that she won't come home. A fear of your chief knocking on your door to break the news that the woman who carried you for nine months didn't make it out of the fire. Knowing this, you begin to appreciate the time you have with her. After my mom joined the fire department, it became clear to me that my mom was selflessly risking her life to save someone and/or their property. With this being said, it puts a whole new perspective on things.
4. Making It Through A Holiday Dinner Is Nearly Impossible And That's Okay.
While everyone should be enjoying a nice Thanksgiving dinner with their family, my mom and I just wait for the pager to go off. Sometimes there will be several calls that she goes on, and even though she can't enjoy a family dinner with us, that's okay. So when we can eat those insignificant-seeming family dinners that most people seem to dread, I'm just thankful my mom didn't get called out.
3. It's Not As Glamorous As It's Made Out To Be.
It sounds outrageous to spend your gas, spend your money and risk your life for free. Putting on forty pounds of bunker gear with an air pack and going into a blazing inferno is not what television portrays it to be. The dehydration and the exhaustion stresses and pushes a person beyond their limits. Not only does it put physical stress on a person, but the way it can mess a person up mentally is unbelievable. The person you love isn't the same anymore. They've seen things that you probably couldn't ever imagine. Up to 37% of firefighters are diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Between 2000-2013, there were approximately 360 firefighter suicides. If this is your idea of glamour, take off your rose-tinted glasses.
2. People Look At You Weird When You Tell Them Your Mom Fights Fires In Her Spare Time.
On Mother's Day in the fourth grade, I remember my teacher at the time asked us to share something about our moms. Most kids said things like, "My mom is the best cook," or "I like how my mom helps me with my homework." Things that are seen as a normal thing for a mom to do. Of course, being the odd child I already was, I told the class that I was proud of my mom for being a firefighter. Most of my class didn't believe me at first; they didn't believe that a girl could be a firefighter. It was something a boy is supposed to do. Not women. Years later, I am 20 years old and get odd looks when I respond to questions about what my parents occupations with, "My dad is an over the road trucker and my mom is a volunteer firefighter."
1. You Gain A Whole New Family.
When my mom joined, I was suddenly thrown around these weird strangers. I began learning names, meeting their families, etc. Now I am proud to call these once strangers my "fire family." I know that when we're all together, we can either have fun or get the job done. When I was 14 years old, I joined the fire department, following in the foot steps of my mom and if there's anyone I can count on, it's my department. Not only am I proud of my mother for being a firefighter, I am proud of my fire department and I am proud to be a firefighter.
