Ones of the most frustrating things for me about being a fire
fighter's wife, is that I feel like I was bamboozled. When I am at my
most weakest, most selfish, terribly tired points, the thought runs
through my head, "I did not sign up for this!" That seed of a
thought starts a huge negative downward spiral of destructive thinking. Otherwise
known to most as a temper tantrum. This often finds me at about 5 or 6 am, when
the baby starts to cry for the twentieth time that night.
Fighting Negative
Thoughts and Postpartum
You see, I
am not morning person. At all. Since I can remember, it has been my enemy. I resent waking up early. Shamefully,
grumbling to myself about how I am the only one who can do anything it. Ironically,
exactly like with my second boy, my hubs has up and ruptured two of his discs. Last
time, he was unable to even pick up the baby for nearly six months. Now, five
years later, the poor guy has done the exact thing again, right after our
newest baby has been born. It is as if I am stuck in some awful loop. Doomed to
repeat this seemingly exact set of circumstances, that nearly destroyed us and
me, the last time. I wanna scream out, “Is this a test?! What did I NOT learn
last time? Come on!”
As if that
wasn't enough, at the same time, he also decided to open a business, have a
miraculous recovery of his back, and decide to join the fire department. Oh,
wait, and we lost our first home, having to move into the house directly
next door to my in laws. At the time, it was a very hard pill to swallow.
Feeling Single
Thankfully,
we made it through that most difficult year. Still during my most frustrating
moments, it is that thought I have to fight. The fact that I did not sign up to
be a single parent drives me bonkers. Part of me, gets so angry when I feel
alone and single. Even more annoying, at
the exact same time, I get to feel the opposite of single and
worrying all day long about my hubby. Then the next thing you know, I am
digging the single life, and comes home just long enough to mess up my mojo!
Can anyone relate?! Only kidding! Well, sort of.
A Heads Up Would
Have Been Nice
My goal here
is to help other wives out there avoid this fight all together. Joyce Meyers
calls it the Battlefield For Your Mind. I call it brain ping pong. Whatever you
call it, isn't worth our time and focus. In my house, I have so much to think
about, I would rather this thought never plague me in the first place, ya know?
Call it my
good deed, my paying it forward, my rant at the world. Whatever. When your man
asks to be a fire fighter, and you have kids, you will know what you are
getting into. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change my husband’s career for a
second. He absolutely loves it. He comes alive there. Honestly, tell me really, what else was he
meant to do? He giggles when there is a fire. Our kids love that he is a
fireman. They are so proud of their Daddy. Their faces beam when he comes to
teach about fire safety at their school. Me? Seriously, could care less
what he does, as long as he is happy. If he made yogurt, I’d follow him. That
is what being married is all about! Happily, instead I look at him and I get to
see the greatness he was meant to be.
Counting my
Blessings
For when my tiredness has
taken over my sanity and I have had enough three year old tantrums coming out
of my mouth, it helps having a list of things to break me out of it. Most of
the time it helps a lot. Of course there are times when the one hour of sleep
will be the only be cure, but I that is another matter. I think of the military
wives whom husbands are away for months at a time. I think of the friend who’s
husband is in Iraq, and hasn’t even met their seven month old daughter. Yes the
image of a Dad all cuddled up, giving his tired wife a break in the middle of
the night, sharing the responsibilities, creating a bond over the pain of
raising a baby, may never happen. Because I refuse to wake the poor guy who may
have to go on a call or has been on a call all night. In reality, I would not
be getting a break and more sleep anyways. I would be laying there listening, cause
I know I would be done already, and it’d be done better. Oh, just give me that baby already! Darn it! Whew,
sorry! So, I tried it once with my first born. Haha haha.
A Volunteer Army
Being part of an on call
paid department has it perks too. I love the sort of freedom that comes with
him sleeping at home verses a fire station, though some days that means less
sleep for me, I am sure. He has more the option of going or not. Even though
that has changed since he has become an officer. Also, you might guess, it is
hard to find a flexible job that understands all the time he will miss. This has
sort of forced us to own a business to make ends meet. Can I get an Amen for no
bosses?!
When I
married, I promised him I would follow him, where ever he might go. And go he
has. Go. Go. GO. It is almost funny now, when he has to leave, rearrange,
cancel countless plans, or miss an important event. Sure that is frustrating
but think about what he is doing while gone. Saving. Helping. Hero-ing.
So when your panties are in a bunch and feeling single, and not
signed up for, think of me. Count your blessings and hug your family. If that
isn’t enough, picture this. No one is promised a tomorrow. Is there a world you
would regret how you are acting and feeling right now. Is there something you
would do different about this moment if tomorrow wasn’t coming for him? I know
I try not to let there be.
Tell me ladies, is there something
you think of to get yourself out of a pity party?
Does any one else feel like
they were bamboozled?