Heart sinking, gut wrenching moment as I read several text messages that appeared on my phone. I was taking photographs of our precious preschooler's building ramps to see which items would roll down, and which would not. I had to stop. Excuse myself and just hear my husbands voice. It wasn't the first time and by the looks of it, I have many more years to go from it being the last prayerful text message that I recieve. While my mind scattered I rushed to the door, he quickly answered the callto say, "I'm okay. But we're all out here. I love you."
A relief, a deflate of the air I was clinching onto tightly in my lungs. Because the what ifs, can be more scary than you could ever imagine sometimes.
That's all I needed.
After my thoughts were gathered and my mind came to ease, I thought how kind it was for so many people to let me know that they were praying for my Husband. It's something that I wish I could have more often for so many men and women that walk the blue line. It's honestly just SO nice to know people love and care about our family.
But...
It immediately took my mind back to 2013. The time that I found out my Husband was involved in a very serious altercation by social media. He had called me and long, behold, I missed it. Which happens way more often than I would ever like to m admit. So I started innocently scrolling through Twitter, because at the time Twitter was a huge deal for, "Mom bloggers" to communicate together on. But then I boldly read, "deputy involved in fight on I-65. Caller advises he is by himself and it looks serious."
Within that moment, my outlook on Joe Imel retweeting, sharing, over picture taking posts changed. I was mad. But I was even more scared. I wanted to know more, but most of all I wanted to know he was okay.
Thankfully, it was no more than a few moments before we were able to talk.
But could you imagine? Or have you ever thought how it would feel to find out hard devastating news in such a way? To see your family members car in photo, or to see the made up rumors that are so often swiftly posted. It's difficult being a police wife, for more reasons than just this. But this is one that no family, person, or even colleague should ever have to worry with.
As a former 911 telecommunications operator. I come from a long line of nosey women who just love to be in the know of every detail that comes to light. But years ago, I met and fell in love with a police officer. He works hard and each day he walks out of the house we pray that he returns home to us. It's actually a family prayer for the children that "Daddy and Gunner are safe at work." But as we all know officers are presently anything but safe in the streets of America. While we are thankful to not be a community shaken by the turmoil of LEO attacks, we are shaken by the others in our country.
We are Mothers, Wives and best friends to our Husbands. We worry about them until they walk in each day - sometimes even longer than that. While I no longer work within telecommunications, it is nice to see what is going on within our community. But, there is an incredible difference between knowing our community and seeing it first hand. Twitter isn't trained. It doesn't break the news in a lightly manner. It doesn't even touch my scared or possibly grieving heart to see it in my eyes before I even know what's going on.
There's a true {sometimes sensible} difference between social media and an actual media outlet.
My hope is to somehow find our way back to that aspect. One that families don't have to be worried with seeing their loved ones car mangled on the side of the road in, or even the description of their car. So, let's take a stand. Put the phones down. Bow your heads, say grace and carry on.
When it's not your news, don't share it.
You never know the impact you could be leaving on someone's heart as their lives forever change.
No comments:
Post a Comment