The text was simple, “Are you home?” The reply sends a
mother who tends to worry on a labyrinth of fret. “No, 'structure fire just called in.”
I try not to allow my mind to go there, but it does anyhow.
An image of burning roof timbers falling and crushing the newest volunteer
firefighter, my daughter. I hear the crackling of the fire and see it licking
the interior walls, the paint bubbling with the heat. The acrid odor of smoke assaults my nose until that is all
I can smell. My breath becomes more rapid and shallow as I face the danger
with my daughter. I am by her
side.
I face her, curl my arms around her shoulders and lean in
and whisper in her ear, “You are an amazing woman!”
I am very proud of my strong, brave, “always been feisty”
girl. In another few weeks, she
will be completing her training at the Hancock County Firefighters’
Academy and will graduate in June. It has taken commitment,
persistence and a strength that I am not sure that my daughter knew she had,
but I knew she had it all along. Congratulations, my girl!
Postscript: At the graduation from Firefighters Academy, our daughter Elizabeth was named "Firefighter of the Year." This was a unanimous decision and it was the first time that a woman had won that distinction.
Postscript: At the graduation from Firefighters Academy, our daughter Elizabeth was named "Firefighter of the Year." This was a unanimous decision and it was the first time that a woman had won that distinction.
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