Today is it. After over 13 years of working in private security or law enforcement, I am hanging up my handcuffs. I am done. My children will no longer be able to tell their friends, "My mom's a police officer." I will no longer have that identity. It feels like I am losing a part of me. Yet I also know that this time had to come and has been coming for a long time.
I have posted on here in the past when I have had problems at work or frustrations. I always try to be careful what I post as I don't believe in airing an employer's dirty laundry or complaining publicly about every slight I see. Yet there are problems in every job and every field. I just won't make this blog about all my perceived injustices.
Monday I start my new position. I will be a social worker in child protective services. It is going to be a change. There are parts of the job that are similar but many parts that are very different. I am looking forward to the change. I'm burned out at my current job. The passion is gone. I am excited to be facing a new job with new challenges. One I hope and believe I will really like.
My children now say their mom used to be a police officer. She used to take people to jail. She used to watch bad guys. They also now say their mom takes care of children who are hurt. She helps keep kids safe. Or at least that is what I will be trying to do. Helping children who have suffered maltreatment be safe. It won't be an easy job but it will be a rewarding job.
On Monday my children will no longer have to tell playmates they can't go to a party or come over to play because Mom is working. They won't have to miss soccer or baseball games because Mom can't get off work. They won't miss church performances because Mom had to work. I will be off on weekends to enjoy those things. I get to be mom every weekend and most evenings. I get to have a Monday through Friday job. It will be better for my kids. It will be better for me. It's just hard to say goodbye to an identity I have had for the past 13 years.
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