Last night as we celebrated Scott and Taylor's birthday at Babe's in Granbury, a group of firefighters from the Fire Management Team from the Uinta Wasatch Cache Natonal Forest Service sat at the table across from us. More about these firefighters.
I am grateful tonight for firefighters including those who died and worked through 9/11 in NYC, D.C. and Pennsylvania. I'm also grateful for the volunteers who fished my father's pickup out of Lake Granbury even before 2001 and those first responders working at the intersection of Beach and Fossil Creek Blvd. on August 15, 2005 at around Noon when my son's body lay 50 feet south of the intersection in need of medical care. Because of brave men and women who go out to accidents, fires and other moments of tragedy and danger my family has been blessed, our nation has been blessed. They selflessly rescue and skillfully attempt to save homes and businesses some to their own peril.
This weekend I asked my nephew, Ben, who is four what he wanted to be when he grew up. He said, "A firefighter."
I asked, "And what do they do?"
At first he said, "Slide down a pole."
But, later, he said they fight fires, rescue people and climb ladders.
After we returned to my parents stuffed with Babe's chicken, I overheard this conversation between Ben and my 3 year old nephew, Wyatt:
Wyatt: Let's go into the dark place.
Ben follows Wyatt into the darkened downstairs entry/storage area off the living room. Both boys hastily run back out. They then walk slowly back in and come running back out.
Ben: (screams) There were skeletons!
Me: Was it scary?
Ben: Yes, but we must face our fears.
Go, Ben!
"We must face our fears" What a wise little guy, beyond his years.
ReplyDeleteAs the mother of a Corporal in his county's Sherrif's Department, I face that fear each time I know he's on duty. As an officer in probably the fastest growing town and county in the country right now, he's in more danger now that at any time in his 6 year career.
Yet I'm so incredibly proud of him not only achieving his dream of becoming a college-educated officer, but for doing it so well.
The formerly small town has a fire department that is NOT trained in extrication of injured people at accidents. Some of them have taken the formal training to do so, to work the Jaws of Life and other necessary equipment. The city/county has an emergency accident team, so if their pagers go off while theyre on duty elsewhere, they respond. (They DO have an AMAZING ambulance team!)
My son took this training on his own so he could be on the accident team. He's done many, at all hours of the day and night, in some of the worst winter weather you could imagine. Again, I'm so very proud to have my son be a first responder, though it all terrifies me.
A SWAT team member from Florida visiting our church when Caleb was still in high school, asked me how I felt about my son having a potentially life-threatening career. I simply told him that it was the ONLY thing my son had EVER wanted to be, since he was about 4, so I'd had a lot of years to think about it.
So yes, we "must face our fears", his wife and I, and because of Jesus, I think we are both doing a fairly decent job of it.
Thank you, ALL firefighters and peace officers who daily face the unknown every time you kiss your families goodbye and walk out the door for your next shift!! May God be with you.
Indeed. Thank you for sharing, Amy. :) ((hug))
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