Tag Archives: A police officer’s wife

January 9, 2015 · 7:04 am

In Honor Of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

Today is Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.  It has been quite a year for law enforcement officers and unfortunately the negativity is continuing. We are currently on pace to lose an average of 1 officer per day in 2015.  It’s sickening and we need to make big changes.  In honor of the 118 officers lost in the line of duty in 2014 I am committing with my family to complete 118 miles of activities in their honor.  This includes running, biking, swimming, walking, rowing etc.  We are all doing it together.  I challenge you to do the same.  We are late into January so this month may not be enough time, but keep going and complete the miles in honor of the fallen.  Sidekick 1 wanted to participate so she helped kick it off with a mile of her own.  She named the officers that she knows and loves throughout the run.  We #runforthecops #runfortheblue #118for2014 #policelivesmatter #alllivesmatter #weseeyou.  I would love to hear your participation in this as well by using the hashtags on social media.

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I would like to take credit for this idea, however, it actually started with a 13-year-old girl.  Here is her go fund me page where she is hoping to donate $100 per officer for ballistic vests for current officers.  It’s a wonderful cause and you should check it out. http://www.gofundme.com/jkoro0

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I am so thankful to the men and women in law enforcement who put their life on the line everyday to keep my family safe.  I am thankful for their sacrifice, their tough skin, and their commitment.

I am also worried, everyday.  The risk is so high right now.  So although I think the above cause is a great one, I wish that those vests weren’t needed.  If you want to make a real difference I encourage you to donate to the following causes.  It would be better if we could remove the situations all together that put our officers in danger.  I would love to see a focus on changing mental health support, and drug treatment options take as much as a focus by the nay-sayers as the training of officers.  Here are some organizations to look into.

This is appreciation and support.  This is a way to make a change and better the lives of not only the officers but our community as a whole.

I have personally seen the success of Wilderness Therapy Programs for addiction treatment.  I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with the practice here: http://www.obhcouncil.com/ and donate to an organization committed to helping make these treatment options more affordable: http://loafund.org/.  If this doesn’t interest you-find one of your own.

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Then step on over and spend time researching and donating to mental health, where you can select and help in your own state at: http://www.nami.org/

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Jump over now and check out youth support organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America at http://www.bgca.org/

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Let me know what you do in the comments below.  I would love to see some changes being made and if you have more ideas or ways to support, share those too.  If nothing else, wear blue today and tell an officer that you appreciate their service.  It will make a difference in their day and show them that the silent majority still supports them.

For the others:

“You go ahead and sit back in your comfortable chair and you be the critic, you be the observer, while the brave one gets in the ring and engages and gets bloody and gets dirty and fails over and over and over again, but yet isn’t afraid and isn’t timid and lives life in a bold way.”
Diana Nyad paraphrasing Theodore Roosevelt

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June 12, 2014 · 4:07 pm

Sacrifices Made for the Unsupportive

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I’m frustrated. So, I have some stats I want to throw out there.  These are close, maybe not 100% but close and represent annual rates in the United States:

-An average of 35,000 people are killed in traffic accidents

-An average of 17,000 people die from illegal drug overdoses

-An average of 16,000 people are victims of homicide

That’s and average of 68,000 deaths in just those three categories annually.

-On an average year, 125 officers lose their life in the line of duty.

-In an average year 11,000 people around the world lose their life as a result of terrorism.  The United States doesn’t even make the list of the top ten countries in that number.

-On an average year, 249 members of our military lose their life in active situations. (very similar percentage when compared)

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I am a patriot.  I am so thankful for the Veterans and members of our military that put their life on the line every day for my family, for our country. I am teaching my young sidekicks the Pledge of Allegiance and the Star Spangled Banner.  I believe in our country and I am grateful to our members of the military.

I am also a police officers wife and just the other day I heard a young child say that “Police Officers are bad.”.  I hear complaints every week about being issued a speeding ticket, or receiving a DUI or a drug possession charge.  It’s always the officers fault.

And every stop is of concern to me as his wife.  I never know what is going to happen to my husband.

I know that people say there are some officers that are bad, but there are also some military members that are bad, some school teachers that don’t teach, some public representatives that misuse funds and yet, they are all still celebrated and appreciated every day.

I just wish that the sacrifice my husband makes every day of trying to protect our citizens from our own kind of demons (our domestic terrorists if you will) would allow him a little kindness and respect from the members of our community that he works so hard to protect.  I wish this for all officers.

I venture to guess, even, that the grief felt by the families of the 68,000 loved ones lost is no less than the grief felt by the families of the 11,000 worldwide lost due to terrorism.  Different circumstances, but still loved.

I am proud of my husband.  I am proud when he issues a speeding ticket to someone who is speeding, he may have saved the child crossing the sidewalk up ahead.  I am proud when he issues a DUI for it is my child he may have saved.  I am proud when he gives a ticket for possession of drugs, because maybe that person will work harder to stay clean.  Maybe it is the one thing that needed to take place to help change a life and stop the next overdose.  I am proud when he responds to domestic disputes and offers a helping hand to the victim and encouragement to make a new life.  I am proud of him. I am proud of all of our officers all across the country and I am just as thankful to them for my families protection as I am to our members of the military.  Thank you!

 

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January 31, 2014 · 8:19 pm

A Police Officer’s Wife

A tragedy has befallen our local community.  Sgt. Cory Wride of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office was killed in the line of duty.  A routine stop to help a motorist in need.  Something done every day, a kind act, resulted in the loss of his life.  It breaks my heart for his family, and it terrifies me.

I have sat today, glued to the television waiting for every update.  Wanting someone to say, this is isolated and it will never happen again.  But it does, over and over again.  Officers responding to a call, trying to keep the public safe, are all but safe themselves.  Every stop a risk, every call a game of roulette.

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I am an officer’s wife.  I am not noble.  I do not give my life to the service of others every day.  I do not vow to work any hour needed to protect and to serve.  No I do not do that, but, my husband, he does do that and so much more every single day.

I have not been an officer’s wife for very long.  My husband just joined the force a couple of years ago.  I was somewhat un-supportive of the decision at first.  This was a big change for our family and I was nervous, but I came around so my husband could follow his dream, and I am so glad that I did. He was made to be a cop.  He is protective, supportive, kind, caring, and most of all he cares about the community as a whole.  He wears his uniform with pride and class.  I am very proud of him.  I know when he goes to work every day that he is doing something that he loves and something that really matters.  He is an amazing example to our children, and I am proud of him.

I am also fearful.  He is not in the most dangerous department in the country.  It is not common that he will be in a high risk situations, and he is probably in one of the most community supported departments in the state.  This is good.

However,  this is also bad, very bad, because high risk is not always common, the level of protection may not always be there to keep my husband safe.  I know my husband is good and takes precautions just Like Sgt. Wride, but, he may be the only one to respond to an all too common, driver in need of assistance too.  I worry about him and those that he works with.

Every day our officers put their lives on the line.  They do it willingly, it is a part of the job. They are the first called when something goes wrong, the first to respond to an accident, and the first to walk into dangerous situations to the protect the lives of citizens of their community. Every day they go to work knowing there is risk.  They are amazing individuals. I respect them.

I also have great respect for Sgt. Wride’s wife and family. I cannot even understand what they are going through at this difficult time, but I am sure there is a lot of anger.  Anger at the man who killed their loved one, their hero.  Anger at the job for not keeping him safe-it isn’t supposed to happen this way.  Anger for all the missed moments while their husband was working swing, then grave, then day, then weekend, then weekday….so that their schedules made it difficult to spend quality time together.  Anger.   I am also sure that there will be a lot of pride coming soon.  Pride for the man who gave all to others.  Pride for the sacrifice that each one of them made so that he could save the lives that there is no doubt that he did.  Pride for the man that showed all of us what humanity looks like.

To all the police officers and their families….Thank you!  Trust me, I know it can be hard, but it matters…and it is appreciated.

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