These Shoes

I will never know what it feels like to walk in 'these shoes'.
How it feels to walk into a burning building when instinct is telling you to get out.

I will never know how he feels when each and every tone sounds in the bay.
How he feels emotionally when he is the first to respond to a critical call.

I will never know how he is able to separate work from home.
How he can administer an IV while standing waist deep in frigid waters and then return home with a huge and relaxed smile to excited kids who want to go outside and ride bikes with him all day.

I will never know what it feels like to save a human life day after day after day.
How it feels in knowing that the little girl driving away in the back of the ambulance is alive, because of you.

Nor will will ever know how he handles the grief of seeing so much tragedy.
How he deals with having to deliver the devastating news to loved ones that their family member could not be saved.

My husband walks in 'these shoes'. He is very good at his job. He is passionate about helping others and making a difference in our community. 'These shoes' can not be worn by just anyone, they can only be worn by people dedicated enough to risk their lives on every shift to serve and assist others. And they have to be people who are truly empathetic and compassionate about life. People who would drop anything at any given time for a friend in need or a stranger in trouble.

'These shoes' symbolize so many thoughts and emotions. I see them and I think about the pride that I feel for my husband and his crew. All of the crews in his department. All of the crews working round the clock worldwide. And I look at these shoes and I see the twinkle in our son's eyes as he tells me that he wants to be just like his Daddy when he grows up. Respect. I have a lot of respect for 'these shoes'.