The Nest — #wife

Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to first appreciate your spouse, celebrate what they mean to you, and to thank them for the day-to-day support and sacrifices they make on behalf of your family. It is also an opportunity to reintroduce romance back into your life. It comes in at a good time of year, when life has settled in for a long winter’s nap, the momentum of New Year resolutions has waned and it still looks pretty bleak outside. Valentine’s Day can a little color, a little romance, and a little kick into your relationship. Here are five ideas...

Please note that this truth is written from a females perspective, but applies to both male and female Firefighter spouses/fiance's. By Kym Harper Styers Dear Future Fireman's Girlfriends and Wives, I am going to lay out some truth for you. It's harsh, but honest. I wish someone would have said this to me 18 years ago when I became one.  One misconception I had was the sexiness of the job. That turnout gear is something isn't it? Makes a girls heart melt. Nothing like seeing your man all decked out looking like he's about to pose as Mr. July in...

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...

by Lisa Wilson I have had the experience of being married before to a “regular” hubby and we went about our daily business as two individuals who did their own thing, loved each other and co-habited. Until we didn’t. I am grateful every day that we didn’t make it because I adore being married to my boy in blue. Being married to a police officer is totally different than being married to a regular Joe. It is a responsibility, a burden and an honor/blessing for those of you who are religious. It is often thankless. It throws up challenges and has...

  By Anne Gagliano The divorce rate for firefighters is three times that of the general population, which is the highest rate in the nation, second only to that of the military. A functioning, long-term marriage in this profession is uncommon; a happy, thriving, intimate one is rare. My husband Mike and I are fortunate to have the latter. Over the years I’ve tried to fill the gaps that surface as he works to fulfill his calling as a firefighter. Some things I’ve learned by accident and some I’ve learned the hard way. Some aspects of the job are hard...