Friday, September 27, 2013

A Little Help Please...

I am trying to keep this blog upbeat and full of hope, but sometimes we have to honestly address the struggles of those around us (and our own) in this crazy Law Enforcement life.

Stressed out
copyright Safe Call Now
While searching for something fun to add to the blog today, I came across a resource that is a MUST to add here. Please, if you know of a Public Service Employee (Fire, Police, Corrections, First responders etc) or a family member who is struggling with PTSD, Stress, or the difficulties of the job and have heard them comment about ending it...visit Safe Call Now  or call 1-206-459-3020. This is an amazing resource for those of us struggling or needing help. Safe Call Now is 100% confidential and here to help. They are completely geared toward those of us in Law Enforcement so they understand our struggles and triumphs. If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts here are some warning signs. TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY! We have a duty to help ourselves, and especially those who help us!

Here is a snippet from Safe Call Now that sums it up:

"Public Safety is a stressful, demanding career. You keep communities safe. You protect life and property. You enforce laws. You resolve conflicts. Public safety rests on your shoulders.What happens when your personal life and career are out of balance? You are going through a divorce. Your finances are out of control. You can’t sleep. A traumatic event at work is haunting you. Drugs and alcohol seem to lessen the effects.
Don’t ignore the warning signs. Safe Call Now was established by public safety employees for public safety employees. Talk to someone who understands the stressful demands of your work. It’s a simple and confidential phone call away." http://safecallnow.org/safe-self-assessment/

 

Warning Signs of Suicide

These signs may mean someone is at risk for suicide. Risk is greater if a behavior is new or has increased and if it seems related to a painful event, loss or change.
  • Talking about wanting to die or to kill oneself.
  • Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or buying a gun.
  • Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live.
  • Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.
  • Talking about being a burden to others.
  • Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.
  • Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.
  • Sleeping too little or too much.
  • Withdrawn or feeling isolated.
  • Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.
  • Displaying extreme mood swings.

Additional Warning Signs of Suicide

  • Preoccupation with death.
  • Suddenly happier, calmer.
  • Loss of interest in things one cares about.
  • Visiting or calling people to say goodbye.
  • Making arrangements; setting one's affairs in order.
  • Giving things away, such as prized possessions.
A suicidal person urgently needs to see a doctor or mental health professional.
 © 2003 - 2013 SAVE.

Struggling with the job or living a life in Law Enforcement IS NOT A WEAKNESS! And you are NOT alone! Even if you as a reader may not be struggling with thoughts of suicide, please keep this website and number handy to pass along. Our Law Enforcement departments need to be honest about the issues our Officers are battling and we as families need to be open with talking about it. Everyday our Officers take care of us...we need to make sure we are doing our part to take care of them.

Here is a link to the Self Assessment section of Safe Call Now for more incite and help.

 Safe Call Now  or call 1-206-459-3020
 

Safe Call Now is a registered non-profit corporation that will provide crisis intervention and referral services to public safety employees.  









Monday, September 23, 2013

Laugh it Off...

Alright, I'm going to take a moment and get slightly serious about a common issue for a lot of LE families. One question I get asked a lot is if I am scared when my husband walks out the door. I really wish I could say "Duh! Wouldn't you be?" But instead I try to be gracious and say it's part of the job and I try not to think about it. And then in my head I'm saying, "But your question just reminded me I could be a widow and my child fatherless by tonight...so thanks, now I'm thinking about it."  A tip to people out there: don't ask a cop wife or family member if they are scared about their LEO! 'Cause we are, horribly, and we don't need a reminder. Instead, support us by saying "I know it is scary, let me know how I can support you."

But really, how do we feel about what our LEOs do? You may be a spouse, a parent, family member, or friend of an LEO. Their job affects us all differently. I think about if my husband was killed, how would I make a living, where would I go, and could I cope with losing my best friend? Not to mention how would my daughter go through life without a daddy? Those fears and worries will always be there. What makes the difference is how we honestly address them, and then put the fears aside. Fear inflicts unfair stress on ourselves and those around us, ultimately causing us to lose perspective on the most important thing...we only have today, make the most of it and don't waste a moment.

This is my strategy for coping with the dangers of my husband's job:

First, I address my perspective. Am I looking at the dangers and realities with a negative perspective, or a positive one? A negative perspective will leave me feeling hopeless and fearful. An example of a negative perspective may be how I think, that an accident or injury is inevitable, it's just part of the job and I better brace myself. OR, I can choose a positive perspective and remind myself what great things my husband is actually doing. And that the possible dangers cause us to appreciate each other more, focus on the minute at hand rather than the future, and never waste a moment telling the other person they are loved. There are so many other ways to live life that result in complacency and numbness. How many times have we appreciated someone but never said it or showed our appreciation? I've done it for sure. But my positive outlook about possibly losing my husband someday, or him being injured makes me think this way instead...I will never, ever, forget to say I love you when he leaves, and I will put aside petty things because when you stop to think about the possibility that this time together will be our last, it isn't worth it. I'm not perfect and I don't always do this, but it is the positive perspective I choose. I choose to look at my life this way because these two things will make my family stronger and closer in the long run. When my husband is old and gray and he made it through 25 years in Law Enforcement, I won't look back and regret my fear, I will look back and appreciate my perspective, because it made me grow as a person and we are better for it.

One way I keep positive perspective is through humor. I'm weird, that's a fact and I'm fine with it. My husband and I laugh all the time, and our baby girl is learning to, too. Fears, dangers, realities, they will always be there, so the best way for me to handle them, is to see something funny in as much as I can. My mom taught me that. We have two choices, get bitter or better. Laugh or get butt hurt. Better and laughter sound way better than bitter and butt hurt. 

I am including a link to helpguide.org. This website has a BUNCH of stuff on the mental, physical, and social benefits of an awesome sense of humor and laughter. My favorite part of the article is this advice, take yourself less seriously! I think I can do that, just the thought of it makes me feel relieved.

Here is a snippet of a few ways to help yourself see the lighter side of life. Something even our LEOs would appreciate being able to do. Please check out this link to Laughter is the Best Medicine.

  • Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take yourself less seriously is to talk about times when you took yourself too seriously.
  • Attempt to laugh at situations rather than bemoan them. Look for the humor in a bad situation, and uncover the irony and absurdity of life. This will help improve your mood and the mood of those around you.
  • Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame photos of you and your family or friends having fun.
  • Keep things in perspective. Many things in life are beyond your control—particularly the behavior of other people. While you might think taking the weight of the world on your shoulders is admirable, in the long run it’s unrealistic, unproductive, unhealthy, and even egotistical.
  • Deal with your stress. Stress is a major impediment to humor and laughter.
  • Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.
 Melinda Smith, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D

HelpGuide.org has tons of awesome resources for every struggle in life. Children and Family, PTSD and Trauma, Eating Disorders, Stress, and so much more. 

We need to be encouraged in this life. We were given it because we can do it, not because we were supposed to fail. I figured that one out at my breaking point when my husband was gone and our baby was two months old. I am one of few that was made to do this...and I will thrive...and learn to laugh while I'm doing it. 

I hope you get a chuckle out of the story below...life is about positive perspective!

This is an oldie but a goodie. Thought I would include this on the blog since my family is MHP proud! Plus I still get a smile from it. :)

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Let's Thrive!

©Bing Images
Thrive
v.i. thrived throve, thrived thriv•en thriv•ing.
1. to prosper; be successful.
2. to grow or develop vigorously; flourish.

 
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

My Hungry, Hungry PoPo

My husband usually works a 10-12 hour shift (not including overtime) and it never fails, when lunch hits and he is able to come home, he is starving! Dinners have never been a big issue for me because I love to cook, but lunches and snacks have never been my forte. I am a stay-at-home mom and I take my role seriously, like a full time job. In the same way completing an inventory count or successfully managing staff makes an employee feel fulfilled, nothing makes me feel better than knowing my family is warm, full of good food, and safe...and that includes my husband when he is on shift.

I've been trying to find easy, cheap, and hearty snack/lunch ideas for my husband to take with him on shift. In the detachment my husband works in, there are times where he is called to the pass between Idaho and Montana for crashes. There are no services there and often times he is too busy to stop for a snack at a gas station. Not to mention gas station food is usually expensive and unhealthy. It's hard to make healthy choices when a glistening hot dog is rolling on the cooker, or the pop machine is calling your name. Especially when he works nights, there is no place to get food if he is too far from home, or too busy, to eat. The town we live in is so small we have no fast food...anywhere. My new mission has been to figure out something awesome for him to keep with him for fuel. Besides a granola bar and water.

No soggy sandwich bread here!
As most of you know, bringing food for a shift in a patrol car is a lot different than food in the break room at a job in a building. My husband does not have a locker room or real break room, but rather, works primarily out of his car. So whatever I pack him also has to be mess proof (no assisting a crash with mustard down his front) and it has to be able to fit in his duffel, not need refrigeration, and actually give him enough nutrition to last through half of his shift. So...internet searching began.

I found tons of article for kids lunch ideas, but pretzel sticks and a pb&j won't satisfy a late twenties, 6'5" dude with the appetite of a teenager. BUT persistence prevailed and I found an awesome site for lunch ideas for grown ups. The link has ideas for all sorts of packed lunches and snacks, all of which would be great for my husband, or even myself. Maybe some ideas would be perfect for you as well!

Check out iPackLunch.com for easy work week lunch ideas. Below are a few of the ones I'm going to try for my husband...no messy dips allowed! :)

Easy Breakfast Sandwich. This sandwich has an egg on top which would be perfect for a little added protein. When I make it, I'm going to add more meat as my husband prefers a more equal ratio of protein to bread (bagels can be heavy). Love the idea of fruit, you could even add veggie sticks or fruit leather. 


I know my husband would like this one...he is a big tuna fish salad fan. We never have pita around (this might be a reason to, though) so I would use tortillas instead. And any variety of fruit, an applesauce cup or chips on the side.

I posted this because of how easy it would be to take these ideas and alter them for diet and taste preferences. Not to mention it's a great starting point for a basic idea that has so many possible variations. Waldorf salad instead of Tuna, oatmeal for the morning, soup cups for the long night shifts. So excited to try these...I will let you know how it turns out. If you try any of these ideas, please leave a comment! I'd love to hear how you made it work for you!

 

Cool weather = Craft Time!


credit: Scrappin Cop
As I sit writing this (the baby is finally down for a nap and I can get a breather) there is a lovely chill in the air. It's been raining for the last couple hours and there is no doubt...fall has arrived. With the coming chilly weather I thought I would post a link to The Coolest Family on the Block blog, specifically a post for everything Police Craft projects...perfect for these rainy days! The projects range in age group, materials, and time. Free printables, coloring pages, and instructions as well as links to more Police theme crafts for kids are featured. 

credit: Homeschool Creations

  Enjoy and don't panic about these "inside days"! 


Friday, September 20, 2013

Trackr K-9


Stephen Chernin / AP
This is a neat story of Trakr (c.1994 - April 2009), a Canadian police dog hailed as a hero for finding the last survivor of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City. He and his handler, Officer James Symington successfully found and rescued the last of 20 survivors, Genelle Guzman on September 12th after Guzman lay trapped for 26 hours in the rubble. For their efforts, Trakr and Officer Symington were awarded the "Extraordinary Service to Humanity Award". Trakr was also named one of history’s most heroic animals by Time magazine. You can read more in the original TIME Magazine article.

Upon Trackr's death in 2009, Symington entered an essay contest sponsored by BioArts International, to find the world's most "clone-worthy" dog. Symington's essay was chosen out of a field of 200 and Trackr was officially cloned in June of 2009. Trackr's cloning resulted in 5 puppies.

You can read his full story at Wikipedia here.

Sources: Wikipedia, TIME Magazine

Beautiful Reminder...


 I found this on Pinterest a while back and love it. "We make our love well known because life is too short not to". As Law Enforcement families, boy do we get that!  Always say I love you...even when you may be arguing or in a difficult time...never let your LEO walk out that front door without saying something kind. Never, ever, waste a chance to speak life to someone...we all know how dangerous the job is, and the words you speak when your LEO walks out the door could be the last. Put value in each other and the time you have...for we are a family of heroes.


 Thank you to Joy for making this! View her blog http://www.simplybloomblog.com/ for free printables of this image! Did I mention she is a fellow LEOW? Her blog is awesome!

Cops like cookies...not just donuts!



How cute is this? I found a great company online this morning called CopperGifts.com that has several Police themed cookie cutters. Hats, badges, cars, and guns. So cute and perfect for your next Police themed party! The company has great reviews and this particular product has a rating of 4.8 out of 5. One customer said the edges were rolled a little thin but otherwise everyone was happy with it! So fun!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

A Special Welcome Gift for You!


In celebration of my new blog...and in hopes of brightening your day a little. Here is a Free Police Printable I made. Law Enforcement themed of course! Enjoy!

*The printables do not have the web address on them, don't worry!*