Why Blog Now?

When I set this blog site up I thought I would use it as a journal of my feelings while our son was at USMC basic training, or boot camp as it is commonly known. I did not realize that my feelings would be so raw that I couldn't put them into words.

Now that we are coming up on the end the journey from high school graduate to United States Marine, I have decided to gather the lessons I've learned plus what I learn as our son continues his career.

Lesson Number One: Letters to Boot Camp

Write letters. When you get done writing one, start another one.

Although we all wrote, our son's recruiter told us not to mail anything until the end of the first week after we had spoken to the recruiter and gotten the platoon number. We calculated the days to get there for day 10 and mailed what we had written. Our dear daughter-in-law 2be even wrote a letter every time she felt like picking up the phone to call our guy. Her "first" letter took six envelopes. But our hearts broke when he described the feeling of being the only one at mail call who did not receive mail. I was crushed for days. I still get teary-eyed and my chest hurts when I think about it and that is one letter that I have been unable to reread.

Advice to families of future recruits: start writing and mailing the first day they leave. If you have their battalion and company names, the mail will find its way to them--by authority of the United States Postal Service!!!

SpiderMan is my hero and I am proud to be

PS: I will be glad to have any guest bloggers who want to share their lessons. Just send me an email to TypingOneHanded@gmail.com.

The First Phone Call

Waiting for that first phone call seemed to take all day. We had planned to let the phone ring into my voice mail so everyone could listen to it. I was expecting a call around midnight. When the phone rang just after 9 p.m., I picked it up and looked at the caller ID. I almost didn't answer since it said private number... But then before I realized what I'd done, I answered. Our son's voice was very stilted. It was obvious he was reading the words. I told him I loved him between his breath and in seconds the call was over.

My heart was overwhelmed. I just couldn't get my mind around it. My husband kept my grandson entertained so I could sit and mope all alone, which is exactly what I needed just then. I'm not sure I slept at all that night.

The Real Send-Off

Today was the real send off... I was doing really well until the guy loading the recruits in the van pointed at me and asked our son, "Is that your mom?" When our son said yes, the guy said, "Go back and hug her again. Moms always get two hugs." That was all it took for me to flood the valley. I tried to keep an encouraging smile on my face, but it was really tough.

My mind was filled with so many thoughts: This is the boy who loved Boy Scout camp...except for the initial arrival. I remember many drives to camp with him debating whether he really wanted me to leave him there. He always enjoyed it more when his dad could camp too.

Now he's going completely out of our reach.

Beginning the Journey: My Boy Leaves for Boot Camp Next Monday

Well, our son was supposed to leave for boot camp yesterday. We drove the two hours to MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) to watch him swear in. We got a call 20 minutes out that he wasn't going to leave Monday due to a paperwork snafu. So we brought him home and have another week with him. He ships July 13 now.