And so it begins...

(this was taken from a post that I made on June 7, the day after my son graduated)

Today was one of the toughest days so far. You see, my son graduated yesterday. It was a busy day with lots going on so I really didn't have all that much time to myself. But today was a different story...

Back in November, my son told me that he'd decided to join the Army. Now please, don't take anything that I am about to say to mean that I am not proud of him or that I don't want him to join the Army, instead this is all written from the viewpoint of a mom who has never been that far away from any of her children.

You see, up until this point, it's been this far off thing. He's not leaving until after he graduates. That was a while back. Now, he's graduated and I'm staring straight into the face of the fact that in a few short weeks, my son will be moving 900 miles from home and someone else will be looking after him. I won't be able to pick up the phone any time I want and just say "Hey! What are you doing?" Instead, I'll be wondering every day what he's doing. If he's happy. If he's sad. If he's lonely.

I've decided that I'm going to make sure he has a piece of mail in his hands every day! Just so he knows that we're all thinking of him every day. And I will be once again counting down the days until I will be able to see him again. Even if its only for a few days as he graduates from boot camp.

I know he'll change. This boy that I know will become a man under someone else's guidance. He will learn things that it's probably better that mom doesn't know that he knows. But every day I will wonder.

Is he getting enough to eat? Is he sleeping alright? Is he scared?

You see, I won't be able to sit by his bed while he sleeps and just listen to him breath like I did when he was little. I won't sit and cry and pray that God gives me the strength to get through the next day with this very busy little boy. Instead I will pray that he's not sad, or lonely or scared. But on those days or nights that he is, that God gives him the strength to get through the next day.

I will also look to my new friends, like yourselves, who are going through the very same things or those of you who have already been through these things.

I believe that everything happens for a reason. And little did I know what would happen on that day while on Facebook, I decided to look for other parents with children in the military and found this group. It could have been any group, but it was this one.

That I would make such fast friends with Val and Cindy who both have sons that are or were MP's. Which is completely ironic since my son is going to be an MP as well. That as we chatted back and forth, we would uncover so many similarities in our lives besides the bond we shared as military moms. I am so thankful for these women who have touched my life in so many ways already and my son hasn't even left the house.

So all you seasoned veterans out there, I'm gonna need you. I'm gonna need you tell me it's going to be OK. That I'll get through this. And after a while, when new people join us, I'll be there for them too. Maybe by then, I'll be OK.

God bless our children for the choices that they've made. I would love to hear from any of you at any time! Even if it's just to share a little of your own worries.