• Home
  • Advertise With Us
  • Login

KC Our Health Matters

Black Men Speak: Health, Strength and Hope
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Awards & Events
    • Advertise With Us
  • Our Departments
    • Community
    • Cover Story
    • Food & Fitness
    • Online Articles
    • Health
    • Publisher’s Greeting
    • Videos
  • Digital Magazine
    • Digital Magazine
    • Caregivers Resource Guide
  • Subscription
  • Vaccination Update
    • COVID-19
  • Contact Us
You are at :Home»Cover Story»Balancing Family Life and Commitment to the Community
Balancing Family Life and Commitment to the Community

Balancing Family Life and Commitment to the Community

Cover Story

By Tara Hill, Paramedic
Kansas City MO Fire Department, Station 39

I have worked in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as a paramedic for almost 20 years and with the Kansas City, Missouri Fire Department for 8 years. It is a position that requires alternating 24-hour shifts. Both I and my husband, Geoff, who is a firefighter, work 24-hour shifts. We have four daughters ranging from age 2 to 12 who have grown up with our non-traditional work schedules and have adjusted well. Family time is a premium, so we treasure every moment together. Our schedules in any given week are complicated, not to mention holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

The first year Geoff and I were married, he was scheduled to work Christmas day. My family had moved out of state the previous year, and it was my first Christmas without them. Geoff and I celebrated with his family on Christmas Eve, so I thought I would be fine by myself on Christmas day. I was wrong. I spent the day alone and crying. Since then, we have made Christmas day the one holiday that we prioritize every year. He generally schedules a vacation day, and I trade with other medics who choose a different holiday priority (e.g., Thanksgiving or New Year’s Eve).

Balancing Family Life and Commitment to the CommunityWe celebrate Christmas Eve with my husband’s family if he is on duty that day. I get the girls dressed up to visit their dad at the station. We also take homemade treats for the fire crew. Then we head to my mother-in-law’s house to exchange gifts. Once we are home, they snuggle in their jammies for an annual storytelling of “The Night Before Christmas.” We leave milk and cookies out for Santa, then it’s off to bed. My husband arranges for someone to relieve him early, so he can try to get home before the girls wake up. It takes some planning, but it is worth every minute that we get to spend together.

The Easter Bunny doesn’t always deliver baskets and get into our flower pot every Easter Sunday. Sometimes the Fourth of July is a two-day celebration. Thanksgiving doesn’t always fall on a Thursday, and we often ring in the New Year via video chat. I have learned that most holidays are not tied to a specific date and that the occasion of bringing the family together and celebrating is just as special the day before, or sometimes two days after.

We love our work and our community, realizing that on any given day we will be called on to rescue or help someone who also has family that cares about them. We are glad to be of service.

If you enjoyed reading this article, please let us know by sharing it through these social media links below.

2018-11-07
kcourhealthmatters
linkedin Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Stumble More
Previous Article :

Giving and the Joy it Brings, Makes All the Difference

Next Article :

Work and Family — Making the Most of What Matters

Related Articles

Making Sense of Why Some People Experience  Poorer Health Outcomes

Making Sense of Why Some People Experience Poorer Health Outcomes

kcourhealthmatters 30 Apr 2017
12 Years, A Brave Step: Pursuing Health Literacy to Improve Health Outcomes

12 Years, A Brave Step: Pursuing Health Literacy to Improve Health Outcomes

kcourhealthmatters 30 Apr 2017
Unchecked Stress Can Seriously Affect Your Health

Unchecked Stress Can Seriously Affect Your Health

kcourhealthmatters 01 May 2017

Vaccine Updates

Sheffield Place

Mother’s Refuge

Hope Haven of Cass County

Benilde Hall

Popular Articles

Who Cares for the Caregiver?
Health

Who Cares for the Caregiver?

kcourhealthmatters 10 Nov 2017
health matters
Cover Story

The Importance of Regular Eye Exams

kcourhealthmatters 12 Sep 2017
Achieving Goals
Health

Jobs, Education, and Training Support Healthier Lives

kcourhealthmatters 20 Apr 2017
Are Pilates Right for you
Food & Fitness

You’ve Heard of Pilates, But Is it Right for You?

kcourhealthmatters 05 Jul 2017
Five Ways to Make Getting Healthy a Family Affair
Health

Five Ways to Make Getting Healthy a Family Affair

kcourhealthmatters 05 Jul 2017
  • Community
  • Food & Fitness
  • Health
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap

KC Our Health Matters
Since Our Health Matters™ launched in 2005, we have provided readers with insight into how to live healthier lives.

Recent Posts

  • Black Men Speak: Health, Strength and Hope

    Black Men Speak: Health, Strength and Hope

    18 Nov 2022
  • GET THE FACTS ABOUT LONG-TERM & SHORT-TERM SKILLED CARE

    GET THE FACTS ABOUT LONG-TERM & SHORT-TERM SKILLED CARE

    11 Oct 2022
  • Aging Changes Our Bones

    Aging Changes Our Bones

    11 Oct 2022

Subscribe Now

    Copyright 2021, All Rights Reserved - KC Our Health Matters