I never really thought about what it would be like to be married to a patrol officer. When Matt and I met, he worked as a deputy in the jail. In my mind, right or wrong, I always figured he was pretty safe at work, even though he was surrounded by some people who have done terrible things. Now, as a patrol officer, I say a little prayer of safety every time he leaves the house. I pray that he will come home to us and not be physically harmed. I also pray that he won't be witness to or involved in anything traumatic.
I will never forget the day Matt called me at 3am, several hours before the end of his shift, telling me he was on his way home. My first reaction was extreme worry. Was he part of an officer-involved shooting? It turns out that he was witness to an attempted suicide - shotgun to the face - and it wasn't pretty. Is it bad that I was immediately relieved? I shouldn't feel relief that my husband witnessed something so horrible or that someone was so down on themselves that they attempted something so unthinkable to begin with. But I was just so thankful he hadn't been put in the position where he was forced to shoot at someone. Not your typical work worry, huh!? As it turns out, because of Matt's preparations that night and quick reactions (along with those of other officers and emergency personnel), the person ended up living, is grateful for the responding officers, and is turning his life around.
Matt has had plenty of other "good" stories to share over the past year or so... responding to a call of a suspicious person in a Subway bathroom who came in wearing gloves and carrying two big cases and had been in the bathroom for a while (turns out they were musical instruments and he really did just need to go to the bathroom before ordering his breakfast), getting stuck inside a woman's apartment that just reeked of cigarette smoke (the door was jammed and he ended up having to jump down off the balcony), responding to a call where someone was completely naked and almost successful in cutting out one of his testicles, etc. I have told him a couple of times that I think he should write a book with some of his stories! Most of his days aren't quite that exciting, but I suppose that's a good thing.
Some of the negativity in the media lately has made me even prouder to be a police wife. I know that my husband is a stand-up officer who will do anything to protect our community and its citizens. He is honest and fair and kind. It makes me extra thankful when people step up in support of our police officers, and that is exactly what Sarah Ledford with ShutterHappy Photography did. She started a nationwide campaign for "Free Photos for Police Families". She organized an event (put together from start to finish in less than two weeks!) where officers would get a free picture with their families and challenged photographers across the country to do the same. And what an amazing event it was! There were donated raffle prizes and goodie bags for the kids. There were free chair massages and chiropractic adjustments. Albertsons provided meals all day - we were there at dinner and got grilled hotdogs, chips, cookies, and soda, along with cupcakes donated by a local bakery. There were people who donated shade tents and cooling stations, etc. It was just a lovely, lovely event. And we actually ended up with THREE pictures, and not just the one promised by the photographer. I will ALWAYS treasure these photos with my own personal hero of a husband.
Here are a few more pictures from the day of the event - not to be confused with the beautiful pictures taken by the photographer :-)
Finally, one last picture. Over the last year or so, Matt has had the opportunity to talk to at least half a dozen different groups about his work as a police officer. He has shared with a preschool, a few cub scout groups, and a couple of youth groups. Recently, we went to my mom's house to talk to her daycare kiddos, and when we arrived, he was presented with a "superhero" (Avengers) balloon and a pile of sweet cards. I love this part of his "job" and how he informs and inspires people of all ages!
