16th Feb., 2010
It seems like only yesterday that I was walking around with a big baby belly, anticipating the birth of my first, and as we would later learn my only, child and although we weren't told by any doctor if it would be a boy or a girl we just knew. We knew because we felt it, and we knew because a very important important person in our lives told us and we were right. Before I knew if I was ready to be a mom, or if my still pretty new husband would be ready to be a Dad there he was, our little baby boy Erich. Ready or not the journey began, and now it's been nearly 21 years since it began. It's been quite a ride for all involved I'm sure and every step that boy took had something special about it.
As a mom I wasn't the overly clingy type, willing to a point to let him try things his way, good or bad. He's made some choices in the past that haven't been the best, but haven't we all? He's made some mistakes from which he's hopefully learned from and had things not go the way he's had them planned - but each step made him into the person he has become and will continue to make him into the man he's growing into. And every step has been a learning process for me as well. Both his Dad and I have partially grown up with him and he's taught us things no one else could have.
Even though he's pretty much an adult now, his life continues to change. Circumstances and choices have brought him to this new fork in his road and he's chosen to do something positive with his future. It was a decision that didn't come easy for him and I'm sure he had to wrestle with himself quite a bit to make it, but he did it ~ he's decided that for now the Army would be the right way to go. So he went through his testing, he went through is physical, he's signed and he's focusing on the future. This journey will continue come May 5th when he will head of to Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. for BCT and AIT (school). After that we'll have to wait and see where he'll go.
My feelings about letting my only child head into the Military? It's a bag of mixed emotions, has been from the beginning thoughts of it and will be until well into his career I'm sure. In the end the only thing that matters is that I'm very proud of him and that I will support him whereever and whenever I can. Anything I can do to help him in any way possible I'll be there, and so will his Dad.
From surprising, amazing little bundle of boy to a young man starting his journey toward becoming a proud American soldier - what a road.
