All fathers want their children to be proud of them...

Cori has been asking me for some time now to put together a post explaining some big changes in our little family over the past few months.  I've continued to put it off for another day or claim to be too busy to get around to it, but recently realized the main reason I haven't written this post is because I really don't know what to say.

For those of you who don't know (my apologies), as of June 1st of this year I left the Cobb County Fire Department to take on a very unique opportunity at a business my father and brother run in Cartersville, GA.  Cori is now staying at home with Cooper full time ... something she and I both wanted to achieve.  It is the best possible decision for our family and a decision I have not questioned since making it in February of this year.

That being said, I want to make sure Cooper knows a little bit about what daddy did before he was born.  I had the privilege to serve as a firefighter for over 9 years (the last 7.5 years in a full-time capacity).  And while I won't miss the bureaucracy of a government job or those people that chose to abuse the system, I will always miss the people I worked with and the "work" we did (...and driving my big red truck).

Firefighting is a noble career made worthwhile by the occasions you get to make positive impact in someone's life.  There are many amazing things I have had the opportunity to see and take part in.  There are just as many things I've seen that I'd like to be able to forget.

It is only in the last few days, as we approach the anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks that my mind has drifted to the sad fact that I am no longer an official member of the "brotherhood".  But I take great pride in knowing that one day when I tell my son about that tragic event in the history of our country I will also get to tell him about the time I served others.  And I hope he will be proud of me.

Thanks to all the folks I worked with in the my career as a fireman.  Thanks for the memories and the friendships.  And the sense of pride I will always carry.

Phil