1. Holidays and family gatherings are spent by yourself.
After all: Holidays are some of the busiest times for the men and women in blue. As celebrators skirt from family to family, whisking wheels too-fast over new snow, police officers attempt to quell the chaos.
You have the soul-warming food, sure; the endless and intimate family conversation; but you don’t have your partner. Which makes any holiday just a little bit empty.
2. The other husbands and wives on the force become your second family.
They live with the same day-to-day fears; their bed is just as empty as yours; and they’re the ones you call to ensure everything’s okay when you haven’t heard from your partner. In five years, you know: These will STILL be your best friends in the world.
3. You always feel safe when they’re behind the wheel.
They spend hours and hours behind the wheel, with complete control and comprehension of their surroundings. Thus, when they’re meant to transport your family somewhere, you know you can trust them. And maybe, in those moments, because you’re FINALLY all together, you can finally get some shut-eye.
4. No matter where you are, your officer is always “on.”
Seated at the movie theater, quietly gabbing during previews, you realize your police officer’s eyes are tracing various entrance and exit points; they’re taking note of every person in the audience. And you realize: Your police officer cannot take a moment off-duty. The badge is a stronghold, and they’ve made a promise to society to uphold order and safety.
5. They look great in that uniform.
Pure and simple: You can’t get enough of them in uniform. It’s part of what drew you to them in the first place. In blue, they uphold your eternal fantasy–and, above all, they’re the love of your life.
6. Every time your phone notifies you with news of a tragedy, you have eight mini heart attacks in a row.
You never know where they are, what they’re dealing with, or when they’re coming home. Your heart is pounding, and you’re at the mercy of that silly phone. When they call to affirm they’re all right: You cherish those moments.
7. Your role as partner of a police officer is often thankless.
Your life is never easy. You’re often alone or working that tiresome single-parent position, ensuring your family doesn’t fall apart. All of your best-laid plans fall to ruin when your police officer-partner gets a call. And it has to be all right with you, every single time.
8. Your police officer is the most selfless person in the world.
Every day, your police officer is laying down their life for their friends, for their family, and for their community. No one else in the world deserves your everlasting love more.
Wives and husbands of police officers: Thank you for your continued sacrifices. Share what else you know in the comments.