Fire Wife Resources

These boots have seen much tragedy and sorrow.

They have stood in places

most of us hope we never have to see.

They have walked through smoke and fire,

through wreckage and uncertainty,

through some of the hardest moments

of someone else’s life.

They have witnessed lives saved

and lives lost.

They have carried him toward strangers

on their very worst days—

when everyone else was being told

to stay back, get out, and move away.

They have come home dirty,

worn,

and carrying stories

he may never completely tell.

It takes a special person

to fill these boots.

A person willing to answer the call,

to walk toward what others run from,

and to carry the weight of a job

that asks so much.

So when I see my fireman’s boots,

I see more than a pair of boots

sitting by his gear.

I see sacrifice.

I see courage.

I see service.

And I see one of the things

I pray over every single shift:

May the man who fills these boots remain strong,

and may these boots carry him safely

through every call—

and always,

always

bring him home.