With the weeks news and our own community celebrating the life of a soldier, my household has been hit with reality with amazing force. Over the weekend we watched as a Marine from Bartow Co was brought home to be laid to rest. We rejoiced in his life, and we sympathized with his parents. He was given a Hero's burial, and the turn out was phenomenal. When we watched I felt my heart constrict a bit, and I prayed a prayer that I have prayed a lot lately, "Please God keep him safe."
I have read many stories over the last little bit, and I realize how blessed Stephen and I are to have two wonderful, healthy, loving boys. They have gotten in their share of trouble, and most would say they aren't perfect, but to me they were the perfect gift. Their personalities, demeanor's, looks, and overall being has given us a little bit of paradise.
This past week Gavin has started to take on some new qualities that I haven't seen, and it is truly like he is growing up in front of my eyes. He has been talking a lot about his finances, what he plans on doing, and the view that he will have going into this whole experience. He is so upbeat, positive, and looking forward to starting a new life. I ask him the other day if it was the fact that he would be out from under mom and dad, and he let me know he would always need us, but he is looking forward to standing on his own two feet. What an amazing gift! Several weeks ago, I had a "breakdown", and I called my mom. She talked me through everything and had her way of making me realize that he will be ok, and he will make it on his own. Yes, I still need my mom :) I always knew that no matter how old we are, how successful, how busy, we always still need our parents. It is nice that my kids know this too.
I feel very fortunate to have such a close bond with my boys. We are at 17 days and counting and I could not be more excited to see the changes in my kids. It is going to be a wonderful thing to watch Gavin walk away, head held high, knowing that he is ready to conquer the world.
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i'll admit, it's been a bit surreal to realize he's going to be going off on his own soon. It seems like just the other day he was 10 and we moved in next to you guys - i even remember you bringing over some oreo pie to welcome us to the neighborhood :) I know you are proud of him and worried like crazy at the same time - as he enters a new period in his life, so do you, and that's always part exciting and part nervewracking. I know Gavin will do awesome and that when you see him again, he'll be even more 'grown up' than he is now - and while i know you are going to miss him like crazy, it's also nice to know that he will be able to stand on his own two feet because of the parents that have helped him grow to be that young, responsible man.
ReplyDeleteI was looking at pictures the other day of when we all went to the TN Aquarium, Emily was just a baby. We have a pic of her tasting a lemon :) I think I'm done with all the crying for now, I'm really getting excited for him. We have been reading on the recruiting site and watching videos today, and he is bursting at the seems to get going. One of the ladies on Navy for Moms shared some of the letters her son sent home, and she talked about the homesickness they experienced. I ask Gav about that, and he said he would be fine, and they wouldn't catch him crying. I kinda giggled, because in all the post I have read, they all say the same thing, but that isn't the actuality of the experience :)
ReplyDeleteoh please - he's gonna cry!!! and more than once i would imagine - he'll never tell you and maybe no one will see him, but it's gonna happen - and secretly when it does and you find out about it, you'll be a little bit happy that he's homesick :) Man that seems like ages ago when we went there - have they really all grown that fast!
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