Why I carry fire fighters close to my heart
Internet, there's always been a teeny tiny part of me that's been disappointed that my Dad retired from the fire department before I had children. I had always dreamed of bringing my kids to see Grampa at the fire station. Unfortunately for me and fortunately for him, he got to retire before that.
Growing up as a little girl who's Dad was a fireman was awesome! I don't know why, but I've always felt like it was a special thing. He was a fireman that was proud to be a fireman. His uniform was always crisp and sharp and his boots were always shiny. And on the nights that he worked, I got to sleep on his side of the bed with my mother!
Going to visit him at the fire station was awesome.
Getting to climb all over the trucks was awesome.
Getting to go in and get a candy bar from the refrigerator at the fire station was awesome.
When he transferred to a different station that was responsible for the neighborhood I lived in, it was awesome.
When you could here the fire engine coming and you'd run to the front door to see your Dad in the front seat............it was thrilling!
And when you were in high school and you had a boy that in a million years would never talk to you, randomly stop you in the hallway just to say "Thank your Dad for taking care of my grandfather last night."...........well that did nothing other than make me feel proud.
Recently I realized that Thomas Trouble had no idea that his Grampa was ever a fireman. Kind of like how Einstein never got to see me play volleyball. Something that was once such a part of some one's life that is gone except for just the pictures and memories from those that knew you then.
Recently Thomas Trouble was watching one of his movies and it happened to be a fire one. I said to him "Did you know that Grampa use to be a fireman?" He looked at me with those big blue eyes as wide as can be and he said "Does Grampa have a fire hat?" Of course we instantly called Grampa on the phone to hear all about his fire hat and got a promise that the next time we were over he'd get to see it.
Internet, today I'm happy to say that it's finally clicked and Thomas Trouble finally knows that his Grampa was a fireman. And while I never got the chance to bring Thomas Trouble to Grampa's fire station, he has had a chance to walk in his boots and wear his hat.
That's a really cool story. As adults we can forget how cool we are, our lives are, in the eyes of kids. We can get too hung up on the drudgery and forget to see things the way they see them. My son used to love spending the night in the air traffic control tower when I'd work the graveyard shift. He'd come with his sleeping bag, all excited, and hear real live traffic! 9/11 changed all that, but some of the memories of those visits are the best memories I have.
oh Mare!!! You did it again! You got these flood gates to open! VERY NICE!!! I have all these same feelings, but could never have put them into words as nice as you!!
That is just so awesome! I'm so glad TT got this chance! You have to be so proud of your dad and now TT will be proud of his grandpa. And I bet your grandpa loved it too!
I meant to type your dad liked it too! I'm OK. Really. :-)
That has got to be the sweetest post I have ever read! I love that Thomas now knows this about his grandfather! TC is so very right - it is so easy to see what we do as a chore and not realize just how cool being a grown-up sometimes is!
Despite seeing pictures, C.ooper does not believe that hubby and I met working on ambulances or that hubby was a police officer, and I have to admit that it sometimes bums me out a little that my kids only know me as 'Mom'!