Last night we dropped our son off at a hotel for his journey to Marine Boot Camp. Friends, this is one of the hardest things we have ever had to do as a family, and it is all I can do to type this and not sob.
We are so proud of our son for enlisting, and for choosing the Marines. Yet our hearts long to hear him run through the house at top speed, hear him banging away on his drums in the garage or sitting next to us at dinner.
He was to be awakened this morning at 3:30 am to go to the processing station then he boards a plane for San Diego where he will be for the next 13 weeks. Sleep was fitful last night and I found myself awake at 3:45 am, thinking about him, praying for him, praying for all of the young men and women who are on the same journey.
We have spent the last weeks together, visiting family, doing fun things, and just hanging around together. Yesterday he and I attended mass together, and it was difficult to stop my tears from flowing. He was given a special blessing by the priest, and was also told that the parish would keep him in their prayers.
And of course we had a nice dinner for him last night,after which the four of us got into the car to take him to the hotel. I didn't want to leave, but eventually we left him there with the other young men who were also leaving today. Another young man was there with his family, and like our family, his sister was crying.
We went over and introduced ourselves and I took a family picture for them. And so now we have a connection to at least one other family from our area whose son is also on the same path as our son.
I hope that you understand that my heart/mind is distracted for the moment, will be ready to post about stamping next week, but right now I am just hoping that we get that quick phone call later today/tonight that the recruits are allowed, basically just "I have arrived" and then they hang up.
Already I have written him a letter, and hope to try to write one each day to remind him that he is strong, that he is loved and that we are proud of him. We won't be able to mail letters to him for about 10 days, or until we get his address (he will be allowed to send it to us on a pre-printed postcard).
And while we have had wonderful weather here for the last month, today is a dreary day, rainy, dark and windy, which is not "lifting" my spirits.
He left flowers and some candy for his girlfriend, our daughter is going to deliver the gifts to her this morning. Our son wanted his girlfriend to have the gifts on Valentine's Day, even if he couldn't be here to give them to her personally.
Enough of my whining, I hope you understand and if you pray, please keep our son (and all the young men and women who are at Boot Camp with him) in your prayers and thoughts.
Thank you for being my "online" friends and support, today that means more then anything to help me get through this difficult time.
Update: I posted so quick this morning that I had to come back to fix some typos...sorry everyone.
