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Continue reading →: The Longest Nights We Do Not Talk AboutThere are nights first responder spouses learn to live with that never fully leave us. They are not always loud or chaotic. Sometimes they are quiet. Sleepless. Heavy. The kind of nights that stretch on until morning and then follow us into the next day like a shadow we cannot…
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Continue reading →: If We Had KnownSometimes I find myself wondering if we truly understood what we were saying yes to. If we had known what this life would actually ask of us, the weight of it, the quiet sacrifices, the moments that crack you open, would we have still agreed to it? Would our first…
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Continue reading →: Locking In, Locking Through: What First Responder Families Can Learn From Brené Brown’s Boat LockI just finished reading Brené Brown’s newest book Strong Ground and there’s a chapter that stopped me not with shock but with recognition. She uses the metaphor of a boat lock to describe how we transition between the different roles we hold in life. As soon as I read it, my mind…
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Continue reading →: When the Holidays Look DifferentHolidays hit differently in first responder families. Like so many of you, I am moving through this season without my spouse at home, and even though we are used to it, that does not mean it ever feels completely comfortable or normal. If you are feeling sadness, loneliness, or that…
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Continue reading →: The Quiet Weight We Carry: Communication in a First Responder FamilyI have been reading The Art of Communicating by Thich Nhat Hanh and one line stopped me in my tracks. “When there is no real communication in the family, both parents and children suffer.” As a first responder family, those words hit a little too close to home. Lately, things have felt…
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Continue reading →: The Quiet Art of RepairSometimes what stops working around us is really pointing to what’s been quietly breaking within. This week, a broken refrigerator reminded me how easy it is to react instead of reflect, to overlook the simple act of curiosity before repair. Renewal isn’t about avoiding what’s broken; it’s about showing up…
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Continue reading →: Disappointment and ReassuranceHave you ever had one of those moments where you were anxiously awaiting something, counting down the days, making plans, holding your breath, and then, at the very last minute, it was canceled for reasons completely outside your control?I know I have. Recently, I was scheduled for cervical disc replacement…
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Continue reading →: The Ball That Never Stops Rolling: Finding Ourselves Beyond the Roles We PlayEvery chance he gets, my son runs out to the field.If he can’t get there, he turns the living room into his training ground, dribbling, practicing footwork, or perfecting his kicks off the wall (much to my sanity’s dismay). No one has to remind him. No one has to push.…
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Continue reading →: When the Freeze Warning ComesThe Quiet Warning Last night I received a freeze warning notification on my phone. You could almost feel the impending cold settling in, the kind that seeps through the air before it ever touches the skin. A freeze warning is set in place to alert us that temperatures will drop…
Hello,
I’m Toni Lynn
Author of Silent Warriors: The Guardians Behind the Badge, speaker, and passionate advocate for first responder families. As a Law Enforcement Officer’s wife and Certified First Responder Supporter, I know firsthand the weight that’s carried behind the scenes. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to stand beside those who stand behind the badge—reminding them they are seen, valued, and never alone.
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Toni Lynn 