An American Soldier

 

Two months ago we had made a trip to Fort Jackson, S.C. 

for our son's Army Basic Training Graduation

A lot of pride and emotion was wrapped up with that reunion because as most people know basic training pushes one to their limits, emotionally and physically. There is no contact other than postal mail which leaves a parent's tendency for worry wide open. The AIT training which immediately follows basic training is intense but our soldiers are allowed phone privileges and limited internet service, so with improved communication it is easier on everyone.

AIT Graduation 1-29-13 Fort Eustis, Virginia

The conclusion of the AIT training is without fanfare as the soldiers are quick to pack up and quickly disperse so as not to miss their means of transportation and be on their way to the next chapter in their lives.

Some will return home to continue their education or resume a profession.

 Others report to their next post and assignment.

This video by Toby Keith, "An American Soldier", is a wonderful tribute to the commitment and sacrifice of those who voluntarily choose to dedicate a portion of their lives for their country. 

For this we thank you.

Best wishes, safe travels and God bless.

Official soldier in the Army Transportation Corps.

Grace and Gratitude this Thanksgiving

Jared Whalen, Fort Jackson S.C. Basic Training Graduation

3rd Battalion, 60 Infantry Regiment " River Raiders"

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American) by Toby Keith

 

Upon completion of the U.S. Army Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina after a grueling ten weeks of unrelenting demands, another group of young men and women have earned the respect of  becoming part of the United States Army. Challenged physically, mentally, and emotionally, these soldiers have learned  the true meaning of perseverance, self-control and pride not only in themselves but in their country.

Fort Jackson trains more soldiers than any other Initial Entry Training Center in the U.S. Army.   

Their mission is to transform volunteer civilians into Soldiers in order to enable them to successfully complete Advanced Individual Training and contribute to their first units of assignment.  The Drill Sergeants ensure that every Soldier has the opportunity to not only change their lives, but to succeed at making this change. 

Only about 2% of the American people are serving in the military and about 3% of living Americans have served in the military. To think in this great country full of blessings and opportunity, such a small percentage actually volunteer a portion of their own lives to help guarantee such freedom and safety for the rest of us. What a blessing to be born amidst a land where the majority can feel secure within the safety of their homes. To wake each new day in control of its opportunity, with food on the table, clean water from the tap and warmth from the cold. Let us never take for granted the sacrifices of those responsible for where we as a people are today.

This Holiday Season, let us not only count our blessings, but include in our prayers all of those who cannot be at the dinner table with their loved ones. Take a moment to remember those who believe in the importance of making a contribution, to be a "leaver rather than a taker".

As a new Army Mom, I am proud to support my son's optimistic belief in career possibilities of his own choosing, and paths of opportunity made more realistic by being one of the Army Strong. 

 

The Path to Inner Peace

With the daily grind of catching the school bus behind us, there is a strange quiet about the house now. In the past, the end of a school year was met with the pride of being one step further up the social ladder of high school. Now there is the excitement tinged with trepidation of "What should I do now?"

The guest speaker at our son's graduation was the Reverend Emery Thompson. His message to the students centered on the path to personal success while maintaining inner peace. It was a very pertinent subject for all of us. Too often we see people reach their mid-40's or 50's, have attained financial success yet wonder why they're not happy or why they haven't realized such success in their personal lives.

Reverend Thompson claimed that our lives will be content and full of inner peace if we live by two guidelines. Be truthful and show mercy in our lives.

Though we live in a seemingly cutthroat, dog eat dog world, he stressed that in the long run, those whose word can be trusted by being honest when stating what he intends to do, and then follows through by doing what he says he intends to do, will be truly successful. To be perseverant and responsible will pay off in the end.
I've often heard the expression "It's where you end up that counts, not how you got there." I doubt Rev. Thompson would agree with that. He really stressed the significance of good reputation and character. What we interpret as personal success for ourselves will naturally follow.

Living by the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", is of utmost importance if we want to have a clear conscience and sleep at night. The reverend pointed out that there will be many people throughout our lives who need our support and mercy as they struggle with their own mistakes, or our forgiveness if those mistakes harm us or others. We are told that we have no right to expect ourselves to be forgiven if we are reluctant to be the forgiver as well. Whether this refers to our forgiveness by God or our fellow man, it does make sense.

Reverend Thompson also made it clear to the students to never undervalue or underestimate their potential. He had a list of "greats" who started out in life as peons or the least of us in social or economic circles. Stressed was the importance of the confidence to be willing to fail before you can realize succeed. That is how we learn.

As these young adults take their first baby steps into the world of the unknown, I really hope they have the guts to get out of their comfort zones and be willing to flounder about at times without feeling like they failed.

As much as I'd love to always be there and know what is going on with my children, I also know their wings will never spread if I keep them in a cocoon.

My husband's words of wisdom have always been, "When in doubt, go for it! What's the worst that can happen?"
As a mother I think "plenty can happen" ....but we can't live in fear... so
"Go for it guys and fill in the pages of your life!"

Braving The Unknown - Tribute To Our Graduates!

A day bursting with emotion as were the clouds heavy with pending rain. Distinguished guests and proud parents held themselves in check until their sons and daughters heard their names and crossed that stage.

Change is always hard, though necessary for personal growth and achievement in life. The guest speaker for the class of 2011 at Lebanon Valley College, Pa. was Joyce M. Davis, president of The World Affairs Council of Harrisburg, Pa. Her message stemmed from a book by Spencer Johnson, M.D., "Who Moved My Cheese". Below is a reading from that book.
________
As he started out into the maze, Haw looked back to where he had come from and felt its comfort. He could feel himself being drawn back into familiar territory-even though he hadn't found cheese there for some time.

Haw became more anxious and wondered if he really wanted to go out into the maze. He wrote a saying on the wall ahead of him and stared at it for some time:

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN'T AFRAID?

He thought about it. He knew sometimes some fear can be good. When you are afraid things are going to get worse if you don't do something, it can prompt you into action. But it is not good when you are so afraid that it keeps you from doing anything.

He looked to his right, to the part of the maze where he had never been, and felt the fear. Then, he took a deep breath, turned right into the maze, and jogged slowly, into the unknown.
____________

Ms. Davis got a very wise message across to these 400+ anxiety ridden young adults ready to step out of their comfort zones. She had a very soothing manner of speaking that must have made many of those students feel like there was someone who understands. That it was normal to be so nervous about the unknown. That it has nothing to do with confidence or maturity or acting like an adult. We all have those pangs of insecurity that try to hold us back. Almost like your angel on one shoulder full of life and encouragement, and a devil on the other shoulder with nothing to offer but self-doubt.

There was such a rush of tearful emotion and then all was quite. Empty rooms, empty parking lots and overflowing dumpsters were all that was left of four years of struggles, failures and ultimate successes. These students who were so intertwined with class schedules and living situations had to fully accept the fact that they are now on their own in this life, that each must make his or her own way. How lonely that must have been for some, while others were chomping at the bit to wrap things up.

Many of these graduates have yet to find employment which will pay enough to cover their looming student loans soon to become a reality. I pray they continue the determined perseverance that got them this far and not give up on their dreams.

Good luck to all of them.
God bless!

Congratulations to our dear daughter, Aleka, as you enter this maze we call life and choose hopefully the right path for your happiness. We felt your slipping away for years now, fully aware we were no longer the center of your universe. I guess that means we did an OK job. Time for all of us to start writing another chapter in our lives, to once again "move the cheese".

Christmas Babies

Christmas 2010 will always be a year remembered in our household because it was a milestone year for our two children. It was our daughter's last Christmas before college graduation and our son's last Christmas before high school graduation. For as exciting as it was for all of us to plan the next moves in their lives, it was also a very reflective time to think back on past holidays.
Now, five years later, we not only have two college graduates, but both of them are married and off on their own! The word reflective is an understatement, by now it's more of a need for a tissue box.
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Twenty-three years ago on Dec. 24 our son came into this world too early, too traumatically.

Dealing with Systemic Lupus, my pregnancy was a very planned, high risk ordeal from the start. An autoimmune condition, my body treated this child as an invasion and tried to reject its presence. With lupus the immune system is in overdrive and actually turns on itself. Steroids and blood thinners helped keep things under control in hopes to at least get beyond the congenital age of 28 weeks. We made it to 32 weeks before things started to go very wrong and the birth was induced. Toxemia and thrombosis became a risk to both myself and the baby.
Whisked away immediately to the neonatal intensive care unit it wasn't exactly the scene a mother envisions.

Mother Nature is quite amazing. Our son's nervous system and lungs were both strong for his congenital age, while his body's ability to keep itself warm was underdeveloped. Breathing on his own was a definite plus. He just needed time to continue to grow. Our tiny baby remained in the hospital a month to gain body fat and once he hit five pounds was allowed to go home.



By that time my own flare-up from the Lupus was under control, for I had ended up back in the hospital myself, and I was more than ready for him to come home. My poor husband, I'm sure he was a wreck, but as too often the case, emotional support for the husband/dad is often overlooked.
Mid-January was our Christmas celebration that year, and the tree was still up and waiting for us.

Over the years, our son thrived and caught up developmentally. Premature children have immature nervous systems which can result in being overly sensitive to stimuli such as noise, light, touch or stress. Told in most cases these children catch up developmentally by the age of eight, we didn't worry over every little setback from teachers. I think one of the most annoying things with evaluations is the tendency to label children with some type of developmental disorder. My mother's best advise for raising children was "this too shall pass".

Children need to know they are good at some thing, some passion. With him, it was music. He received his first acoustic guitar for his ninth birthday. His passion for music went beyond a hobby. To take an idea and put it to words and then to music is amazing. Songwriting really is poetry set to music. Studying lyrics and what those words are saying can be a very useful tool to understand one's child and how they think.
Below is a song written at the age of 18 when social issues, politics and ethics weigh heavily on the minds of our young people about to step out into the real world.





Upon graduating from High School, college was the goal, but after his freshman year, being the high achiever he is, he took his future one step further and joined the Army. As a mother, the jumble of emotions felt over this voluntary decision was overwhelming at times. While many young people his age are more into relationships and parties, here this young man was mapping out his financial and career path. The lyrics of the above song hint at what has now become a desire to work in journalism, and using the military to gain contacts and connections seemed the ideal route to attain that goal.

Now an American soldier, our Christmas baby of 1992 will be turning 23, another birthday celebration for our once three pound baby who has become quite the young man. With college under his belt, commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, his beautiful bride by his side, the world is opening up with opportunity.
He certainly took to heart his Dad's advice whenever unsure about a decision, "When in doubt, go for it.".

And let that be our Holiday wish for all of our young people entering adulthood in this insecure world in which we live.

Happy Holidays!

July 25, 2015