How 2 Love Your Cop: Chapter 2: All Roads, All Codes, All In! cont.

Looking at being the wife of a cop as an adventure allows you to see the upside of so many events. Let me share a few of our memories over the years:

I remember turning beat red when a large group of cadets sang “Happy Birthday” to me on the steps of our state capitol. That was definitely cool. We missed a wedding in Northern California and drove all night to SoCal when Brent decided to return to help with the LA riots even though we were on vacation. Somehow I felt his call of duty and chose to answer it with my full support. There’s a satisfaction I have when I recount it now, like I did the right thing for the greater good. Maybe you understand? Your own needs take a back seat to the pressing issues of his job for a time.

When it was time to move, I accepted it, looking forward to a new adventure, and kept in touch with those we left behind. Now I have friends in several parts of the state, and I’ve never regretted it. I cried when a twenty-year-old killed her two best friends when she decided to drive drunk. I laugh as I remember how a poker game in the backyard became a little more eventful when a mole chose to run through a crowd of cigar-smoking cops. There was one less pest in the world to dig up our lawn!

When my two-year-old son burned his hands after falling into a campfire, Brent’s coworkers put together a basket of goodies for him to pass the time with while he healed. The support of other officers and office personnel has been huge when hard times hit. When a call came in of a nearby pursuit while having a deep conversation at home with out-of-state friends, I quickly helped Brent climb into his uniform and watched him screech away (he was the on-call supervisor). Our friends and I later listened with wild anticipation as he recounted how the pursuit ended in a field of flames with the suspect in custody. Hoorah! I clapped as tears filled my eyes when I witnessed an incredible victory over tragedy. Months after one of our officers became a paraplegic when he was hit on duty, he hand-pedaled his specialized bike as he joined my husband and his cadets on a run to our state capitol. I enjoyed being in the know when my husband got to be involved in a high-profile case. He was the first officer on the scene of the burned-out car that belonged to the victims of the highly publicized Yosemite murders.

These are just a few of our memories. You will have your own list if you don’t already. From time to time, it feels good to recount the ups and downs like I’ve done here. It bolsters confidence, knowing that we survived the downs intact, maybe even coming away with a little more strength, a little more wisdom. The ups invite an attitude of thankfulness, enjoying the good times once again.

It’s a wild and crazy adventure, a very full life. And know that more great things will be added in the years to come. Commit to the adventure; you’ll be glad you did.