Midnight is approaching. I should be asleep by now, but my nerves always kick in at this time of night. It is 10 till and I've begun pacing back and forth in front of the window, occasionally peering outside. I'm waiting to see those headlights and hear footsteps. Once I see those headlights, I can finally breath again. Now the clock reads 12:05 and I begin to shake a little as my anxiety begins to take over. 5 minutes late is not out of the ordinary, but it isn't really usual. I begin to bite my fingernails. I consider calling. Where is he? Has something happened? As my mind begins to wander away, the headlights shine through the window illuminating the entire room. My heart begins to pound as I hear his footsteps on the front porch. He opens the door and I can tell by the look on his face that it was a rough night. I open my arms to him, silently thanking God for bringing him home to me once again.
This is what it's like being married to a law enforcement officer.
Being married to a LEO is one of the hardest things I've had to experience. It's something that others are absolutely clueless about. That's why I wanted to give you a little behind the scenes look at what law enforcement officers, and their families, go through on a daily basis.
When we tell our husbands good-bye, before they leave for work, it could be the last time we ever see them. It's such a hard truth to accept, but it's something we must deal with every day. Our men go into work daily with the knowledge that they may not make it home alive, yet they continue to do what they do. That's one of the reasons I love my husband so much. He's such a brave man. My mind cannot comprehend what he goes through, yet he does it without complaint. To him, it isn't about life or death. To him, it's what he was born to do. It takes a truly special person to work in law enforcement. My husband is of a rare breed. We call them the sheep dogs. Law enforcement officers are the defender of the sheep by keeping the wolves at bay.
He does so much for so little thanks. My husband is responsible for keeping criminals, rapists, mass murderers, and terrorists behind bars. He singlehandedly helps make this country a safer place, and for what? Law enforcement officers hardly ever get much thanks or consideration. They put their lives on the line to keep the country safe. You would think that they would get much more in return for this. While I think my husband deserves everything in the world, not many other people see it that way. There are a lot of people who view law enforcement officers as the "bad guys", when in reality, men like my husband are the only thing separating them from the true bad guys.
There are an unlimited number of people around the world committed to harming, and even killing, law enforcement officers. I refuse to get political here, but one thing I will say is that law enforcement officers do not deserve unwarranted hate that sometimes leads to their death. You see, we live in a world now when I actually have to worry about my husband when he goes to Walmart in his uniform. How sad is that? Something as trivial as my husband making a trip to a retail store can scare me senseless. It's all because I'm afraid someone who hates law enforcement officers will see him in his uniform and decide that he has to die because, in their mind, all LEOs deserve to die. It's sad, and it's disgusting, but that is one of the harsh realities my husband, and myself, have to deal with.
My husband doesn't have a glamorous job. He often comes home and doesn't say much to me, because he is still mentally processing everything that he had to see and do that day during his shift. Some days are better than others. Some days he comes home with a smile on his face, all because he is simply so happy to be home with me. Then there are the days when he comes home with a stress headache so intense that he has to immediately lay down to try and sleep it off. It's hard to see the mental toll this job takes on him. There will be days when I cannot console him or make him feel any better because what he went through that day truly tested his spirit. The only thing I can do is continue to be there for him daily and love him fiercely.
My husband is my hero. I will always have his back, even if we live in a world that calls for their destruction. I will stand by his side and love him through it all. I must be strong for him while he stays strong for our country, despite everything they must endure.
If you see a LEO today, please shake his hand and thank him for everything that he does to keep our country a safer place.
