Fallen Heros

I had fully intended to write about the injustice of moms not accepting other moms' decisions to either work or stay at home however we have unfortunately had something much more important take over for the last few days.

My husband is a damn proud phi sigma kappa alum from UW-River Falls.  He also is a firefighter and paramedic as you know.  Sunday he lost a brother.  Lt. Jamison Kampmeyer was his college buddy, phi sig brother and firefighter brother.  Lt. Kampmeyer answered his last alarm on Sunday, March 4, 2012 when the Abbotsford movie theater caught fire.  Lt. Kampmeyer and four others entered where mere civilians would never dare.  The roof collapsed, four made it out.  Lt. Kampmeyer did not.  He leaves behind a wife and 3 young boys.  He leaves behind a Sheriff's department and community that will all mourn their loss. 

He leaves behind a brotherhood of outstanding men that I have been very lucky to have in my life, the phi sigs from UW-RF.  We may not get together very often, but they have been involved in every major event of our daily lives together in one form or another.  Their wives are good wives, moms and friends.  We were trying to plan a multi-family outing for this summer before this happened.  I hope now more than ever that it moves beyond the "planning" to a definitive phase.  Our husband's need to band together.  This isn't their first loss of a brother at our young ages, unfortunately it won't be their last.  But through it all, they will be brothers.

Lt. Kampmeyer's other brotherhood is that of the firefighters.  I saved this for last because this is a nationwide brotherhood.  Through this process, I have realized more than ever that people who are not a family member of a firefighter will never quite grasp the heart-stopping grief that we all feel when one of our own answers the last alarm.  We've all been there, hoping today isn't THAT day.  My husband was a firefighter when we met in November 2001 online.  In those post-9/11 days, I would be remisce if I said it wasn't part of his appeal.  He was one of the good guys.  We've both grown a great deal since then.  Now that we have our daughter and having seen this day come to someone we know, it's not such an appeal.  But it's in his blood and always will be.  It's in all of their blood.  Just like my wonderful family that I grew up with, the firefighter family may not be perfect but it's just about as good as you can get this side of the pearly gates. 

My husband likes to quote Rescue Me's, Tommy Gavin orientation at the end of the final scene of the series...we are firefighters; we die a lot.  That sums it up for all of you that wear those helmets.  It's a fact of life that you somehow live with each day.  If only those of us that love each of you could be so accepting.

May our daughter never know the pain of THAT day so that all fire departments that we pass on our travels continue to be a source of joy for her.  Daddy's work...daddy's "amblance"...daddy's fire trucks.  Yes honey, we'll go see daddy this weekend at his "amblance" work.