This is the first post of hopefully many, where I share my experiences as the girlfriend of a police officer. My goal is to anonymously network with other significant others, spouses, family, and friends of our uniformed heroes.
My officer and I just recently moved to the city where he’s been a patrol officer since he graduated from the academy about a year ago. I work full time and am earning my masters degree so I’m either in class or working about 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. My officer works the fourth shift (8pm-7am) with the standard 4-on-4-off rotation. It’s not very often that our schedules coordinate with each other. Many of you might already be familiar with that. I’ve learned quickly that holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays are just a date and we make time to celebrate when we can. This weekend I was blessed to spend THREE ENTIRE DAYS with him! Not just a breakfast date, which we sneak in sometimes when passing each other at the end of his shift / the beginning of my day. Not a rushed dinner where he’s putting on his vest while still at the table. But an entire weekend spent together. We kicked back with some friends Friday, had a date night out on Saturday, and spent Sunday lawn-scaping our new garden beds together.
Today, I’m back in class and his new rotation starts tonight. While leaving my house this morning, I was overcome with many emotions. The lasting joy and love from time spent with my honey over the past few days. Heartbreak knowing when I returned, he wouldn’t be there. And a sense of loneliness. I don’t know anyone else who lives the type of life I do. Who shares the same fears I do. Who also finds relief at the sound of velcro. So here I am, writing this blog. Looking for others to relate to and network with.