Embracing Daily Gratitude: Honoring John This Thanksgiving Season, Day 1

The second anniversary of John's death falls on Thanksgiving this year. It feels unreal that another year has already passed and that 730 days have gone by since I heard his voice or saw his face. The last time I heard his voice was over the radio as he cleared the scene of the fire. How can that be possible? I keep telling myself that at least I got to tell him goodbye as I left the scene that early morning.

This year, instead of standing in a sea of sorrow, I want to focus on gratitude. And so, for each day this week leading up to Thanksgiving, I would like to share something I am thankful for about John and the life he led.

Today, I am thankful for the passion he had for the fire service and the work he did with both the Houston Fire Department and the Forest Bend Fire Department. While becoming a firefighter was not his first choice for a career (he wanted to be a marine biologist/marine veterinarian), he absolutely enjoyed his time as a firefighter.

He held nearly every fire and EMS certification that he could get his hands on (I'm not sure anyone outside of Chief Roy Hunter who had more certs than he did). When he retired from Houston, he wanted to spend more time deploying with the FBFD wildland/all-hazards team. He really wanted to do it all. He wasn't satisfied hanging up his helmet or sitting in an office filing paperwork. He wanted to continue being a hands-on firefighter with Forest Bend.

Because of his passion for the fire service, he was my biggest supporter when it came to my work within the first responder world. He knew how much I loved it and that it was my first choice as a career. He was just as devastated as I was when I was injured and could no longer work as a career firefighter. However, he cheered me on as I found other ways to keep my foot in the door, and for that, I am forever grateful.

We worked so well as a team because of that shared passion. Despite the love of service, it was also tough at times. First responder life is hard on the family and relationships. The fire service can feel like a mistress sometimes. You know she is there, but there is nothing you can do about it. It's an exciting, thrilling, and adrenaline-filled relationship. Even though we always say 'family first,' that is often not the case. We end up choosing to take the extra shift, or to make just one more call, even though that means missing dinner, a celebration, or a date. It can feel like the "mistress" is the one who will always get chosen.

Now, imagine a family with two first responders! That was us. More often than not, we would choose the work over each other, especially once he had taken a leadership role. However, we found a workaround by responding together. Most of the time it was fun to spend the evenings and weekends, 'trolling for trauma,' as they like to say. It's what made us unique. It's also what made him such an outstanding firefighter.

I am so proud of his service and grateful for all that he brought to the table. He put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears...and eventually his life into ensuring that the fire department was a better place because of his dedication. I am proud. I am grateful. I am blessed because of him, and I wish I had told him that more often.