I've shared my joys, sorrows and angst about my daughter - I've been consumed by thoughts of her lately. But today she and her man hit the road for their new adventure and rather than crying I find myself content and happy for her. I have neglected to share my joy about my handsome, wonderful son though, so here it is . . .
G started out life quickly. His was a speedy labor and delivery - 1.5 hrs from the moment of the first pain/breaking of the water, to the moment the nurse held him up to me in delivery. He had this blond hair sticking up all over his head - almost like a real life little Bart Simpson. He was a headstrong child from the first moment he opened his eyes, and continued to show his independence with his first words - not the traditional Mommy or Daddy, but "I Don't Want To" Really? "I Don't Want to"? Oh man, I knew I was in for it. And sure enough, through age 4 I wasn't sure whether to just sit in the corner mumbling to myself and plugging my ears, run screaming from the house and never return, or just do what I did - spend a lot of time crying and praying for relief from this age. It passed, he learned to communicate his needs and we began to come to understand each other. And what a joy those following years were.
He has always been goal oriented, from his first words to the present, he's set his eyes on a goal and made sure he reached it. By the time he was 12 he decided he wanted to be in some form of law enforcement and researched how to get there and what to do to make a great resume before he even had a job. He joined our county's Emergency Search and Rescue team by the time he was 14, which is the youngest age they allow to join, was a team leader by 16, became a Sheriff's Cadet by 17, took special classes in the local tech school for Law Enforcement and Fire Safety, and 3 days after he turned 18 years old, just 2 short months after graduation from high school, he left for United States Coast Guard Basic Training, with the ultimate goal of drug interdiction as a career path. If you thought I cried over my daughter leaving, you can imagine what I went through when he walked out that door, uniforms and gear in hand, not to be heard from til not long before graduation. I've never been more proud than when I sat in the audience watching him walk across that floor to receive his graduation pin.
He came home and left almost immediately for advanced training, followed by a brief time at home, then he was deployed outside the U.S. for 6 months. Again, with the tears, the anguish - but oh the pride. My son is serving his country with pride and dedication. What more could a mother ask? Well, there are a few things, like . . .
Stop driving that blasted motorcycle so fast. Quit smoking - it'll kill you faster than the motorcyle will. I don't care what I say . . .it's always right because I'm the Mom (ok, that part is tongue in cheek - a little). And always be honest and treat other people with respect and integrity. I'm happy to say that the last one he does, always. My headstrong little boy turned out to be an amazing young man, and worth the bruises I got beating my head against the wall of his stubborn will.
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