The 9........

If you watch the news, you know of the 9 men who died while fighting a fire in Charleston, SC. You know it was in a furniture store and all who died were firefighters. The thing that touches me, personally, is that my future brother-in-law is now a firefighter, as is his brother and many of his close friends. They are all in various City of Charleston bases and a few were helping their fellow brothers, and all are home safe. My husband is a Paramedic for Chas. County, and while all this was going on, he was working at his other job (same type of work, but at a private company). My future bro-in-law just started his job and is waiting to do shift-work. I am selfishly thankful that they both were not there, however I have been married to this type of work for long enough to know that every single firefighter/emt/medic goes into their job knowing what may happen and they love what they do! Each and every person in this type of profession, whether they be mothers, fathers, husbands or wives, understand that they might not come home. It doesn't make it easier on the ones they leave every morning, but speaking from experience, I am DAMN PROUD of EVERY SINGLE FIREFIGHTER/EMT I have EVER known! IF any of my family were to die in the line of duty, I would be heartbroken, but I would find comfort in the fact that they made some one's life a little longer, saved some one's child, or husband/wife/mother/father...etc, and they LOVED doing it! To all families touched by this tragedy, remember why you were (and are) proud of them--throughout all the years of being awoken by the tones of an emergency call at 3am on their volunteer radios, or when they had to cover another person's shift-after their own 24, or when they missed your best friend's wedding or whatever....-- they are the brave men and women we turn to for help. I will never forget..........