The Police Wives Club

I am a member of the Police Wives Club. I'd like to say we meet each Wednesday. However with our husband's rotating schedules and overtime we don't have meetings. We don't even have a hand shake. What we do have is the distinct honor of marrying a man who goes out each day and lays his life on the line for other people.

I think it goes without saying that being a police officer is thankless work. Police officers are spit on, accused of being racists/profiling, and abused by the public they are sworn to protect because let's face it, they pay his salary.

Now, I have the misfortune of living in an anti-police city. A few bad apples have painted the whole police department as being worm ridden. All cops are crooked. Everyone hates a cop because well let's face it, they pulled me over for running that red light when it was CLEARLY yellow. The flip side, they didn't arrest my neighbor because his dog pooped in my yard. Damn Crooked Cops. Think they're above the law hiding behind their blue wall. Shhh....I'm going to let you in on a little secret. The majority of police officers are good men and women. They decided to pursue this career because they wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. It is these men and women who are the first to speak out against that crooked cop because it makes their work harder.

My husband works long hours. He has to work weekends and holidays. He misses his son's Halloween parade. He misses birthday parties, Christmas and Thanksgiving. He gets called in for mandatory overtime during natural disasters to help others. He refuses to wear his wedding ring to work because he doesn't want the scum to know he is married. He stands in the rain to direct traffic. He chases the shoplifter in snowy, icy conditions. He helps the woman who was just raped by her abusive boyfriend. He helps the child who was abandoned by their mother. He is the first on scene when a child dies from shaken baby syndrome and arrests the perpetrator. He sees the worst faces of humanity everyday.

Would you want to bear those memories forever? Now for those who say well he chose to do this work. He signed up for it. You're right. He did. Does that make him any less worthy of sympathy for busting in on a father raping their child? Have you ever been in a situation where your decision can mean life and death for someone? What if you make a mistake? Could you live with yourself?

I know I hear about it every time a little boy or girl comes up and hugs him. He goes to the park everyday on patrol and shows his lights and siren to the kids who get so excited. Maybe next time you see a police officer, you could tell him thank you for everything you do. I'm sure it will make his day.