Friday morning the phone rings. When I inquire who is calling, the official sounding man gives his name and then says he's calling from Washington, DC. My heart drops as I hand the phone to my husband...
Even though my son is in New York, a sick feeling blackened my heart. The phone call was just a guy doing a survey and so my stomach returned to its original location and I started breathing again. This is not a fun feeling.
Today I'm checking my facebook. I check my facebook ALL the time and I check everybody's status ALL the time. Do you have a facebook? How many friends do you have? Do you like pieces of flair? I LOVE pieces of flair! Sorry, I digress, well I'm checking everybody's status and I notice that something is different on my son's facebook. His status has changed since last night. I have no idea how or why or even who did it. To my knowledge he doesn't have computer access. I have his password and I know I haven't touched his facebook. I was instructed not to do a thing unless absolutely necessary. So who did? A million questions are buzzing through my head. (Note: as of 9:45 this evening, I have learned that if a facebook status is inactive, it automatically expires. This means Nate is probably just fine - glory!)
When I got his letter over the weekend, I peered at each word he wrote trying to detect even the slightest hidden message. I read the words he put on paper but were there things he wasn't able to say. You know those things that only a mother can notice. Is he ok? Is he stressed? Is he rushed? Lonely? Sad? Happy? OY!!!
These are the moments, the MOMents when my faith is stretched. I call on my Savior to remind me that our All-Knowing, Omnipresent God is there for my son even when I am not. I have a friend whose husband graduated from USMA and was stationed in Saudi Arabia. I remember her telling me of being fearful of "the call" or "the visit." Praise the Lord she never experienced these things but now I get it. Even a week into our 47 month experience at West Point, I can better empathize with many military things.
My DH and I have raised a strong and resilient young man and we serve a mighty God.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Philippians 4:6
This is a special bag I bought at West Point. I love how this bag has all the names of new cadets printed on it, including my son!
3 comments:
Weird about Nate's status... yes, the good Lord has Nate in His grip.
Although, I am not the momma to a solider, I am the big sister to one. I understand so well what you mean about looking at EVERYTHING differently. I also understand that the pride you feel for your loved one is indescribable. I am praying for you all, especially Nate’s toe!
While I was waving goodbye to my wonderful husband (USMA '07) at the airfield here on post as he took off for Iraq, my parents were dropping my younger brother (USMA '12..with your son!) off at West Point.
I came across your blog and spit my water out from laughing at your wit...and also due to the fact that my younger brother has left my Mother with an "Empty Nest" (albeit, as your house seems, an 'empty-West-Point-filled-nest), and she shares your "Pride and Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy" (as I call her out on, frequently).
While attempting to weed-wack our dear on-post yard to Army Standards, I have to stop quite frequently to answer to my Mother's calls...and assure her that my brother is in fact alive, that he will call her, not his girlfriend, on his phone call day, and let her know that yes, I am writing too, so he is getting more mail than her "everyday" letter (side note: She sent pictures of my dear brother's every move on R-day morning, and the classic bald head/uniform picture from the Oath ceremony out to every possible e-mail address in cyber space).
I assure you that you are not alone..and I also assure you that you will feel proud of your son on many occasions - A-Day, Ring Weekend..but never prouder than when those white hats sail into the air in a few, short (and long) years.
As far as facebook..I do believe we'd be basking in Hawaii right now if my husband had spent as much time on his homework at WP as as he did on facebook. Instead, while he is enjoying a paid-vacation to the sandbox, I am basking in humidity :)
Good luck to your son - and please keep up the wit as you progress through his years and the inevitable debacles. Nothing makes me smile more than "West Point Parents".
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