Letters to my Mother {Day 19} Your baby is a solider, Part I

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 Dear Mom,

Well, he did it. Brian joined the army and completed basic training.  We are in Lawton, OK as I write on the eve of his graduation from Army Basic Training.

He looks great and he’s weathered basic training beautifully.  He’s still Brian, yet so handsome in his dress blues. A blonde boy with a big heart in a solider’s uniform.  A contrasting paradox I’m still trying to wrap my heart around.

You would have gone breathless watching all the soldiers march in at the end of today’s welcome ceremony.  The moment I caught sight of him across the crowd, I ran. There he was, our Brian, your baby, all grown up and handsome.  Wearing a beret and a few brass medals to boot.

Little Brian who hid behind your legs out of shyness.
Little Brian with the cowlick that wouldn’t quit.
Little Brian who I could never stay mad at for more than 5 minutes.
Little Brian who loved Ninja Turtles.
Little Brian who played the trumpet in the marching band.
That Brian, well …. he’s a solider now.

It think he was right about this being the path God was calling him down, yet I hate the  restrictions on our time together.  So many rules, at least four more years where the Army will call the shots.

One of the deepest longings of my hearts is for us all to be together, but it seems like there is always a barrier.  Yet, even the Army is more lax than death, so I’ll take it.  It’s only a season, even if I do long to hug him and never let go.

Mom, I have no clue how a mother would feel watching her baby boy as a solider.  I’m not sure I’ll ever know, yet I tried to step into your shoes today.

You would have been beaming proud and wept for the overflow of it.  You would have teared up as He and Lisa stood together bravely, he in uniform and she ecstatic to be near him, they were lovely Mom.

 We were all so full of pride, I wish you could have seen it. I wish you could be there tomorrow as he graduates with all the pomp and ceremony the occasion deserves.

I’m going to write to you about it, every detail and feeling, so much more to come tomorrow.

Your baby boy is a solider now,

I love you,  I miss you,

LeaRae

  • http://h2ochurch.tv Pam Worcester

    As a mom to a Senior Airman, I was that mom on the day of his Basic Training graduation – beaming with pride & trying to hold off the tears because I knew what may come next. And it did – twice – one tour in Iraq, one tour in Afghanistan. And just like Mark’s comment – yes, it made me and his dad ask God to have his back every hour of the day. Even when the phone call came that he’d been injured, I knew that God had his back and would keep him safe – although it did take an actual phone call from Adam before I actually believed he was okay! Sure did make an awful lot of cookies while he was in Iraq and Afghanistan. Adam’s buddies loved it when he got a box from his momma!

    • http://leannepenny.wordpress.com leannepenny

      You’re amazing, strong and beautiful Pam. God bless all the cookie makers.

    • http://twitter.com/Vaderalman Mark Allman (@Vaderalman)

      Pam,
      Our church sent Levi a care package at Easter one time. I think it was several boxes and so all his buddies benefited from that blessing. I would write Levi something everyday and keep a running letter to him that I mailed once a week telling him what everyone was doing everyday here at home.

      I also took a deck of cards and started early in his service and wrote a quote on a card and mailed it with his letters. I made it work out that he got the 52th quote right before he got out. Unknown to me I had the same quote on 2 cards. I thought it was appropriate for men at war that this one repeated. “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong”….. Mahatma Gandi

  • http://twitter.com/Vaderalman Mark Allman (@Vaderalman)

    Leanne,
    Our son Levi was in the Army; a infantry man, a Ranger, an Airborne Infantry soldier. It takes you to both ends of the spectrum. On one end you are so proud of what they are doing; and so proud of the man they are becoming; but you are so afraid of what they are doing as well. Almost everything was out of our hands. It made us so much more ask God to have his back; to look after him since we no longer could. I guess the reality while we might have thought we were looking after him it was God who had his back always. We thank God that Levi has served and is now back home in school. When he joined the Army him mom, his sisters and I were joined as well.
    May God bless your brother.