Mother Love

Motherlove-it conjures up sweet dreamy visions of pink and blue, cuddly and cozy. Mother love was anything but that for me-it transformed me into a warror diva determined to do anything to support and protect this next generation-our legacy. It was primal, raw,like that of a grizzly mom protecting her cubs. I was driven to do anything to nurture my cubs as well.

In my pregnancies I took ten time s better care of myself than I ever had before. As infants I read to them, baby proofed the house. As they grew and participated in almost every sport known to man I bought protective gear-chest protectors, face guards. We bought booster seats before they were required, guarded the internet, got them fingerprinted. I would leave no stone unturned to keep them safe and thriving.

And then it was time to leave the safe nest I had crafted. I thought I knew the depths of my love then as my heart ached at the thought of them leaving. But the enormity of it was revealed as son number on stood and took this oath on July 1, 2001 at the United States Naval Academy.

HAVING BEEN APPOINTED A MIDSHIPMAN IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY, DO YOU SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR AFFIRM) THAT YOU WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC; THAT YOU WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME; THAT YOU TAKE THIS OBLIGATION FREELY, WITHOUT ANY MENTAL RESERVATION OR PURPOSE OF EVASION; AND THAT YOU WILL WELL AND FAITHFULLY DISCHARGE THE DUTIES OF THE OFFICE ON WHICH YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER, SO HELP YOU GOD.

My son promised  go into harms’ way in service and duty to his country. The reality of his promise became larger than life two months later on September 11, 2001 when our nation was attacked.Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his country. Greater love has no mother than to watch her beloved child possibly have to do just that. In the years that followed his three siblings have each made the commitment to serve. As a military mom with a child in the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines, I never understood the depths of love until I have experienced my childrens’service in a tangible way.

How can this be? These children I so carefully nurtured now at the point of the sphere all around the globe. Love to me is having my heart skip a beat when I hear the evening news, or have not had email contact in days. It is a primal scream when a friend is injured or killed. It is the constant prayer and the realization that, there but for the grace of God go I, as another casualty is announced. And it is having my heart overflow when one comes home and is safe for an all too brief moment in time.

Tonight I will sleep a little easier because, for the first time in a year, all my children are home in the United States. Not under my wing, but still close to my heart... which is mighty full of mother love.

Military Moms and Dads

This month is Military Family Appreciation Month. It is good to recognize the sacrifice of the families who support their service members at home and on deployment. My daughters-in-laws and son in law have held down the fort during multiple deployments. And my grandchildren have also felt the sting  of daddy being gone for months on the time. I remember that from my childhood as well. My dad, a career Army office , was gone a lot including multiple tours in Viet Nam. I remember watching scary news footage and rebelling when I had to leave my friends one more time

I want to focus today on some other members of the family-the parents, especially of the single military servicemen or women. It is a little daunting to get a big envelope in the mail with your kid's will and life insurance policy. We usually miss out on those family awareness and pre-deployment family briefings. If we are lucky our kids add our name to the Family Readiness Officer newsletters. but we are spread out all over the county with no other service family members around us to share the weight of worry. Many of us have no knowledge of the military and not many people around us who really understand what it is like. You get a lot of questions like,"How can you stand it-I could  never handle my kids doing that", or " You must be afraid to watch the news." Usually I am just brave and breeze through it. But sometimes I want to just start sobbing and turn into a quivering mound as I squeak out," He is flying over Libya right now. " But since we are the less than one percent they would not get it and back up hurriedly to move away.

To be fair I wish I had a dollar for everyone who has thanked me for their service. But there are times when you do wish your kids lived down the street especially when you don't hear from them for weeks on end or they are in harm's way.

But we continue to do our part. We babysit their pets, store their stuff. We send care packages and pray that no one in uniform shows up on our doorsteps. And if, heaven forbid they are injured  we do whatever we can to help them become whole again. We have them move in with us, drive them to medical care-maybe hours away, and do what it takes because they are our and our country's treasures.

Military moms and dads-one of the toughest jobs in the world, right behind spouses and military kids. I am very proud to be one. We need to stick together. Life on the homefront can get mighty tough somedays.