Saturday, May 6, 2017

Army mom life...

As a single mom, there are many rewards and many heartaches.  You get to be the one to tuck those sweet babies into bed every night, and you also get to be the one to discipline them on a daily basis.  You get to be the first one to celebrate when great things happen, but you also get to be the one to wipe away the tears. As many great moments as there are, there is the moment of panic and being super proud (all at the same time) - and that is the moment when one of your babies decides they want to serve our country.  

For me, this was the first time I had dealt with the military at all - so, I had no idea what to expect.  Yes, my brother was in the Air Force.  Yes, my dad was in the Army.  But...knowing those things does not prepare you in any way for your child.  I had no idea what went into enlisting in the Army, until C started the process.  Now... I did NOT help with this process and as a mom - it was hard (especially if you know me).  But...this is also how I knew this was exactly what he wanted to do.  With every test, every appointment, the day he left got closer.  Then, January 16 was here and he got on a bus to Ft. Benning. As I watched the buses pull away that day, my heart was breaking.  Then came the hard part...no communication.  On day 10 - I finally got my first phone call - and it was a short one!  But.. I knew he was okay.  I wasn't really worried about him being physically okay - it was the fear of the unknown. As the weeks went by, I became a mailman stalker - I lived for a letter!  And... let me just say,  we should really write letters more often - they are a great thing!  Then came family weekend... and I really thought I would squeeze C to death!  I was sooooo excited! Leaving that time was still hard, but I knew in 5 short weeks that I would see him again.  The other thing to remember in all of this - while they are in BCT (Basic Combat Training) you know they are being trained, but you also know there are live fire exercises - because they are there to learn how to win in combat situations. So, for me... that is a lot to take in.  Each day was started in prayer - praying for mental, physical and emotional strength for him.  

The weeks have moved pretty quickly, and we just got home from the Turning Blue Ceremony and  OSUT (One Station Unit Training) graduation.  My sweet boy was has grown from a little boy into a man, and a civilian into a soldier in 15 1/2 short weeks. Now... we are on to the next chapter - he will be stationed at Ft. Wainwright in Fairbanks, Alaska (this is 3,914 miles from home).  He will leave here on May 15, and start the next chapter in his life.

Please continue to keep my soldier in your prayers as he makes this transition, and J and C as they prepare for their brother to make the next move.  And.. just know that if you see me anytime the week of May 15 - I may burst into tears and possibly need a hug! But for now... I will enjoy each and every minute of him being home and soak up as much family time as I can! I can tell you though my new favorite four words are BOOTS IN THE HOUSE!! 

No comments:

Post a Comment