Tea at the Fire Station
Daddies are their little girls’ Knight in Shining Armor. Every Daddy is a hero in his daughter’s eyes, and the good ones never lose that place in her heart, even after she grows up and finds her own Prince Charming. There are heroes abroad, and there are heroes at home. Here is a story of a few whose heroism covers both realms.
Mark McConnell is the EMS Education Coordinator at the Bernalillo County Fire Department. Recently his wife Amy began having tea parties with their young daughter on the weekends, and they included their Knight in Shining Armor, of course. Mark enjoyed the tea, “got hooked,” as he explained it, and started sharing mugs of tea at work with co-workers who also appreciated the beverage. When Kassidy, his little girl, found out her daddy was having tea at work, she wanted to be a part of it, definitely.
“I can have tea with you in the evenings, and on weekends,” he explained. But she was adamant. If her Daddy had “tea parties” at work, she wanted to be included! What is a Daddy to do? A tea party at the fire station? “Why not?” Mark said to himself. He would find a way.
He sent out an e-vite to friends at the station, planning his tea party over their lunch hour. He borrowed some hats from the tearoom for men, women, and little princesses, and planned the menu, including scones and mini peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As you can see from the photos, and the shining eyes of the little girls (and wives!), these men are thoroughly established in that place reserved for Heroes.
Mark told me, “We work hard serving the public day after day, it’s important to take time to serve our families as well.”
Chief Celaya attended the tea party, too, and I loved what he had to say: “We fight fires in our community and we work hard at a hard job, but there is a human element to our job that must not be overlooked.” Wise, wise man!
There are sung heroes and unsung heroes, public and private ones, known and unknown. I wanted you to know these gentle giants in our community, who are brave and daring, also committed and caring: true heroes – the very best kind!
Yours for the return of grace, civility, beauty, gentility, excellence,
and … Heroes,
Mary Alice
“A human element to our job”
Heroes at home and abroad
