The sacrifice

I've always heard people talk of the sacrifice that a policeman's family has to make, but I never really thought anything of it, not in too much detail anyway. Oh sure, I've been annoyed when John couldn't get a day off because there was a huge city-related event or when he has gotten called in at 3 am to investigate a fatal accident or come home 2 hours late because of a call...and let's not even get into the worry, panic and fear that goes along with having to have a loved one who goes to work each day with a gun strapped around his waist. After 16 years of this, you learn to live with it...what choice do you have really.

I bring all of this up because dh has to work on Easter Sunday. Of course, this is not the first holiday he's had to work, it happens all the time, and I know, all to well, it won't be the last holiday he has to work. The trouble is that now dd is getting of an age where she's beginning to be annoyed with it. I guess she's beginning to see the sacrifice. This morning, she gave me an earful:
Why does he have to work on Easter?
Why can't he get another job?
Now he's going to miss everything!
It's no fun without him!
Why can't he get the day off?
I suggested that maybe Easter Bunny will show up on Saturday instead. (He has done this in the past )
I don't want him to come on Saturday, that's not Easter!
Ds chimed in with his 4 year old comment:
Who's going to videotape us on the egg hunt now?

I tried so hard to answer her questions reasonably, but really, how could I expect her to fully comprehend all of this? I live with the sacrifice every day, and maybe I was blind to it all, but I never thought my children would have to live with it also. My heart breaks for my children and truthfully, it breaks for my dh as well. Such is the life of a police officer's family.