I had the coolest experience yesterday on the plane from Destin FL. to Charlotte NC. When I traveled to FL, no one spoke to me on either flight, so I was expecting the same thing when I returned home. When I sat down in my seat a very pretty lady was sitting there and said hello. I figured she was just being polite, I said hello back and then minded my own business. I had two of my shieldmaiden sisters in the seats in front of me and talked to them for a minute. I could see the lady listening to us and I finally asked her how her day was. I found out she lived in NC and was in Destin visiting her granddaughters. Literally as soon as she began to speak, I could feel something between us!

She then inquired about what the other girls and I had been doing in FL and I told her about the program we had just completed! She sat very intently listening. I then went on and explained about going in the ocean as a group on Monday night and how cold it was. The sandbags, and the journey. I told her about going to rehab and my very strong desire to work with first responders, be a speaker and write a book.

Before the flight was over we had exchanged social media information and this morning I received the most amazing message from her. I want to document it because it was so uplifting!

Good morning to you my Sister! I want you to know that you blessed me as well!! I know that I am blessed to now have you in my life. Whatever the purpose, however our journeys in life move, I know that The Lord God Almighty placed you in my heart. When I was choosing my seat for that flight I was mindful of what would be God's design in that flight. And there you come, bringing passion of your experience of the past few days on that beach! You shared your life in simple moments to me. I know how to pray for you! I want to be on the front row cheering you on when you start speaking publicly. May God richly bless your life even more than you have experienced. May you touch lives for HIM and shine your light from a deeper place and be a beacon of life and safety for those that need your "ministry". I told my husband about you and that I felt like I met a woman who could be my sister if I had one. You are a blessing and source of strength, life and encouragement. I thank God for you. 

I seriously was in tears! Receiving those words and feeling like she really understood my calling and where I was coming from was amazing to me. One thing I learned this week from Setema was that most people don't want us to succeed because they want us to stay at their level. I was so blessed by Mary's words and just love how she said she wanted to cheer me on from the sidelines!

I do have a calling and I feel it very strongly! I do want to pursue this coaching thing so that I can use my voice to make changes that need to be made for LE and other First Responders.

I will treasure these words for a very long time, even until I am buried six feet under! 

 The only finish line in this earthly journey we have been given is that time when we cross the veil and return to our Heavenly Father.

We were "trained, taught and educated" from an early age to look for the "finish line".

Now, don't get me wrong, small bits of our life do have one, however for the most part, it's a continuous grind.

I was reminded this week, not only by my own "Journey", but an observation of a journey of my sisters.

We all had to dig deep inside and observe within ourselves what that "Holy Cause" or "Why" that would kick our bodies into "low gear" and keep on going. For some, it was about mending relationships and family. For others, financial stability, spirituality or physicality.

As we were thrown into our "journey" we had time to reflect upon where we were going, where we had been and how to continue to build our "best selves"! My Journey included thoughts of family, trials and my future!

I observed that day that we all changed our focus and mindset about our Journey's the exact moment WE thought WE were DONE! The looks and body language told stories of defeat when being told "congratulations sister, you have completed the first leg of your journey, now circle around me and keep going"! This brought on self deflation, attitude, "lies" and "stories" saying "I cannot go any further"!

My friends, we have to dig deep and find the "holy cause" and most of all not just "endure to the end", but "enjoy the journey".

#shieldmaiden #kiakaha25 #findjoyinthejourney #holycause

Change the Stigma

 The Jungle, The Zoo, The Twighlight Zone, these are terms often used by police officers when roaming the streets we are protecting. One thing about it, it is the "Greatest Show on Earth"!

Unless you have rolled through the dark streets, highways and interstates at the "witching hour", you will NEVER truly understand it! The things that we see and experience in our careers is hard to describe outside of Law Enforcement. The sights and smells burrow deep into our very pores and seep into our very soul. We dwell daily in the underbelly of society. We most often deal with people on their very worst days, or moments! To us it's not just a "job" or "career", it's a calling! It's what we signed up for. It's exciting! Until it isn't!

Day in and day out, rolling around in the pits of hell each shift. Exposing ourselves to constant fear, hatred and darkness. Trying to shove those emotions down each day to transition back to what our families and friends expect of us - NORMAL! Stepping out of one roll to fill another. It's utterly impossible! The dark stays, we take it home, but we don't share! We can't! It's not "fair" to those around us! We are sheltering them, protecting them. That's what were supposed to do, right? However, the more we "protect" those we love, the further down we shove our "baggage". As the years progress the "photo album" in our head of everything we have seen, the demons we faced, begin to come alive! We literally birth them into existence because we didn't take proper steps to purge them, kill them, and eventually they take over!

Our biggest fear is not that of the demons we come in contact with, but the people we work for and with. Our biggest fear involves words such as "unfit, mental health and counseling"! Those words can pull us off the streets, into a desk, and that's NOT where we want to be!

I am fortunate because I am finally at a point that I am mentally healthy. I still struggle and deal with the trauma, but I know healthy ways to deal with it all now. It took alot of intensive and intentional work to make that happen. There were moments and seasons in my career that I was unsure if I would survive emotionally. There was always so much training that involved teaching us to shoot, drive and be physically fit. However, not enough moments of teaching us empathy for each other, how to deal with the death of a co-worker, a critical incident or a trauma.

Those areas are lacking. The stigma of asking for help needs to disappear. There is a war on Law Enforcement right now and too many agencies have people in charge that will not back their officers and turn their backs on them!

So, how do we change this? How do we make a cultural shift for the generations coming in behind us? How do we change the suicide rates, divorces, addictions and stigma about it being a "weakness" to ask for help?

I believe the changes need to come at the academy level. I believe cities, towns, counties and government agencies need to have REAL conversations with their administration. This culture has got to change! However, one of the simplest answers - it starts with you! So, what are you doing?

KT 01-26-21