SOLC 5 2

Well, I wrote another slice today, was getting ready to upload it when my phone went off and up popped this picture of my son at a house fire he was at two nights ago! The picture instantly brought a smile to my face. NO, not because of the misfortune of the people whose home these fireman saved! Because, well, while my son was out fighting that fire, I sat up waiting for him to arrive home safely and well, to hear all the details b/c it was his very first fire that he fought as a non-probie firefighter. This was a big deal! It was another one of those extraordinary moments. Just two weekends ago he took his pack test. His whole department was there in support. This was the last hurdle in completing his probationary fire fighter status. This was a long time coming. Before his accident, he was almost done with all the requirements. The accident set him back. He was fortunate, fireman take care of their own. His company and fellow fireman spent the next 22 months helping him practice. They would call him and say come down, we will help you practice. Two weekends ago as he was coming out of the smoke filled building he said he could hear them chanting his name and applauding, all of them! KYLE! KYLE! KYLE! I wish I could kiss each and everyone of those men for loving my boy like they do! I was the second phone call he made that day, the first was to his grandfather, who has been in the same department for 50 years. My dad can no longer fight fires, so when Kyle joined several years ago the decision was made to retire my dad's number to Kyle. My son wears that badge very proudly! I opened up the picture tonight and I saw his proud face and I thought of all the hurdles he went through to get there and I cried, tears of joy! I then immediately sent the picture to his grandparents who are snowbirds in Florida, they needed to bask in this moment too! Slowly, very slowly humpty is getting put back together again!
Hugs,