The Bread Life

First I want to start by saying I am not in anyway trying to diminish or put down other people's jobs. I realize that there are a ton of jobs that are hard, stressful and any other word you'd like to put in. I want to maybe, hopefully open eyes to a job that no one really considers. While I am not looking for pity, I think some do not realize the depth of some common people jobs.

I can't imagine having a husband in the military. I remember my dad being in the Air Force Reserves, he would leave on his 2 weeks trips and we would almost die... okay, not literally, but you get the point. So I can't imagine being without my husband for months on end. They should make more  (or at least equal to) any guy who can throw a ball for a living. So these circumstances are excluded!

I am also so very thankful for every paramedic, police officer, fireman, FBI agent and everyone in between that helps protect and keep us safe. I pray for you everyday. I know shifts can be long and scary. Painful. Full of fear. Sometimes even thankless. There are others out there who work long crazy hours. Go on little sleep and have fear of falling asleep behind a wheel, being robbed and other things as well. It's called the delivery business!

Here I'm gonna tell you a bit about what my husband does. He works for Bimbo Bakeries USA. He delivers bread. And you are thinking, wow really? You're gonna sit here and talk to me about bread and how hard that is? Yes I really am. My husband can spout off UPC codes, bread dates and colors and tell you how much bread he ran last year around this same time of year. He gets up at 1:15 AM. He has to be at work by 2:30 AM. He doesn't just have one boss, no, he has 10. You read right, 10. He has his boss at his depot where he loads the bread. He also has 9 stores that he delivers to. All 9 of those store managers like to tell him what he can and can't do as well. We've been married for 15 years and this year will be 18 that he's worked for this company, so yes I married into it.  But I had no idea what really was in store for me. The ups, downs and a lot of hard times.

We married in 2001. He was going into work at 3:30 and getting home around 2 or 3. He wasn't making enough to support us, so after 9 months of Marriage we moved in with my parents. We lived with them for 2 years and when I was 4 months pregnant with our first son, we were finally able to move out. He then was transferred and we bought a home. He was then working from 2 AM until about 3 or 4 in the afternoon. While he was making more money than he had been, money can't make up for time.

He's only off Wednesdays and Sundays. And he works every other Sunday. Being a church going family we are at church most of the day. The kids are in school on Wednesday's and he's in bed resting to go to church when they get home from school. We try and eat dinner together every night just so we can see daddy. I feel like a single mom a lot. I do most things with the boys alone. Getting up at 1:15 doesn't allow for much time to go out in the evening. Some weeks we don't even get a chance to sit down and talk. We don't get to have coffee or breakfast together EVER! My boys ask when dad when dad will be home all the time. My 9 year old son cries all lot wanting to spend time with daddy. There are never words in that moment and most of the time I end up crying with him. I have fear that he won't get enough sleep, and those firemen and officers will be calling me. He works on commission, so there is always wondering if there will be enough money. The stress of a bad contract and taking and pay cut every year for a 5 year period of time. So when weeks come when he is off we try to soak in every moment we can. I want to be selfish and just go away with just me and him,  but I know the boys need their dad. So we try and do as many family things as we can as well as just sit home and do nothing.

So starting this locksmith business is a way we are trying to change our lives. We have realized, through trial error and a lot of bumps, that things are not just gonna change. We have to make them change. We have to a willing to step out and do what it takes to make the change we want happen. I am so so thankful that I've been able to stay home with our boys and blend never had to have day care, nannies or anyone else watch my kids. This is why we have stuck with it for so long. We want to show our boys other things are possible. When you want something, you have to take the steps to make it happen. And I hope that maybe this can help someone in some small way!