My husband and I have been together for 11 1/2 years. And since 2008 he has been a firefighter. There’s one thing I have definitely learned throughout these years is that every single fire season is different. There can be extreme fire seasons and there can be the ones where we just get lucky or a little of both. I think it is important to remember that whatever season you’re in to not let yourself get annoyed with other fire wives if there husband never seems to be gone and yours is. It’s completely out of all of our control and no telling what the next season will bring.

There’s been seasons of endless strike teams and feeling overwhelmed by the fact I was always alone. The frustrations that come along with those seasons are so legit. There’s just no level of comfort you can have until your firefighter is home and safe by your side. But those seasons also bring a lot of growth and strengthen you. It’s amazing how much as fire wives we can handle. Because only God knows there are days in those seasons when you are just plain over it.

The seasons that are an even balance of gone and home. He is stuck on or out on a strike team but gets to be home for long periods in between it’s not too unbearable. These seasons are ideal. The best of both words in my opinion. But they can also be hard. Constant changes in schedules and never knowing when to plan or not plan. Every season has it’s battles.

Then there’s the seasons when your husband seems to be the only one who is never gone and happens to miss every staffing pattern and every strike team. You feel guilty but at the same time are ever so grateful. You watch your fire wives suffer and go through the struggles and feel like anything you say to help doesn’t matter because you have your husband home.

In every season I think there needs to be a level of understanding and mutual respect amongst the fire wives. Next season is never a guarantee it will be the same. We all have our struggles and times when we need help. Perhaps leaning on each other and balancing each other out will help lesson the stress of every season thrown our way. More then ever I believe there needs to be a sisterhood willing to truly be there for one another. Find those sisters and be them. They’re the only ones who get it even when they’re in a season that may look different then yours. They still just get it.

A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer then a brother. Proverbs 18:24