This has been a quite a week for me. My only son and his wife left Friday for Gresham, Oregon - all the way across the country. I thought I was ready for all of this. I mean, I had a few months to process his decision, and I believed that it would not be too hard for me. Certainly not as hard as the day I left him at college. Foolish me.
It isn't that I think this is a bad move for him. Quite the contrary, I think it is a wonderful opportunity. I love the west coast, and am excited for him. I've never been a mother who held too tightly - still, I am a mother, and my heart is always filled with him, so saying goodbye was extremely painful. As I was driving home after our tearful parting, I suddenly thought about all the mothers who say goodbye to sons and daughters as they go to Iraq. How much more difficult that must be, than what I have experienced! I can't - I don't want to - imagine embracing your child and knowing that he may not come back. And - to spend every moment while they are gone, wondering if they are safe. Just contemplating this seemed to help me bring my son's move into a better perspective. And, it made me more mindful of the terrible cost of this insane war.
So, even though my heart is hurting, I am so grateful that my son is on his way to a new life, full of promise and dreams - and not being sent into harm's way. I have so much to be grateful for - perhaps I realize that now, more than ever.
Have a great weekend - and be sure to hold your loved ones tightly in your heart. And, perhaps, like me, you will find yourself thinking of all the sons and daughters serving in the military. In many ways, they are our childen, too.
0 comments:
Post a Comment