the long deployment

My son deployed last summer...

 and is still at sea... and is not on the way home yet.

This will be the longest USN deployment 

since Viet Nam by the time it is completed.

A lot has happened since he left... seasons and holidays have passed.

I have sent LOTS of care packages...

including these Christmas ones that LIT UP.

My son said his shipmates were impressed! ;) 

I have grown to LOVE the bubbly sound

my phone makes when I get a Skype message

at odd hours.

My sailor has seen a bit of the world...

Christmas in Dubai~ he'll always remember that.

He stood watch on Christmas day, but had 

a few days off before. 

 There have been other ports and there are more to come. 

He has been part of something important

while in the Persian Gulf for all these months. 

He has seen a lot... but mostly this. 

He has not complained to me one time. 

~♥~

And I have kept the "home fires burning"...

Deployment.

You count the days.

You send packages

 and email.

You love Skype and Viber.

 You cherish port calls

because your sailor has some fun 

and you get phone calls.

You try not to think 

 about how dangerous the waters 

of the Persian Gulf are.

You pray.

And you have a grateful heart

for this grand and noble adventure.

~♥~

I ♥ the mail carrier!

What a wonderful thing is the mail,

 capable of conveying across continents 

a warm human hand-clasp.  

~Author Unknown

The Navy teaches you things, lots of things~ 

like an appreciation for the U.S. Postal Service. 

In these days of instant communication, the thought of waiting

for a letter seems rather quaint, but when a loved-one

is in boot camp, letters become golden.

So far I've gotten two~ the form letter

and a nice 3 page letter last Friday.

It was so good to "hear" my son's "voice",

to see his new "military handwriting".

He is doing well and says parts of boot camp

are FUN!! And some parts suck.
He has made some friends and is learning
to deal with sleep deprivation.
He misses us.

Today he started his 4th week and graduation

on 9/30 doesn't seem so far away anymore! 

I am so proud of him. He is working hard

to become a Sailor, but...

he is still my boy, my sweet son who remembers

that his mom likes to know where her babies sleep.

So, this made my day. 

~♥~

waiting game...

A week ago I got my son's form letter from boot camp. I was delighted to read the lines he wrote...

He's okay! Likes the food! Misses his girlfriend and dog 

and still has his sense of humor!! 

Best of all the first line~ "I'm doing good."

Oh, joy!!! My mother-heart was filled with gratitude! 

Now a week has passed... a long, quiet week. Today my SR started

week three of boot camp. Hopefully his division is working together. 

This is how they earn phone calls and the privilege to write 

and receive letters (of which he should have a lot waiting for him!). 

In the Navy, no news is good news. I know better than to expect 

any communication this soon. It will be at least 3 weeks... 

no sooner. 

So, I am in the doldrums... the still, quiet time of waiting. 

I am staying busy and thinking the best.

I hope and pray that my son's division is smart and strong.

I hope I hear his voice soon... or open my mailbox

to a sweet surprise. I hope my son has made some friends

and is learning and feels he has made the right decision.

Mostly I  hope that he knows he is loved and supported.

Press on, son. Press on. 

~♥~

up, up and away...

At this time next week my son will be at MEPS

doing his final swearing-in. We will send him off

with love, prayers and encouragement! 

Today I am mostly excited, ready for his

great adventure to begin! 

I keep thinking about how important it is 

to have the right attitude. I want my son to go

forth with confidence and determination. 

I can ask no less of myself! I want to focus

on the positive and radiate peace as I support

my son and learn to navigate my new life

with a less full nest. It's all good.

~♥~

tick tock~tick tock

So, now we are down to 11 days until our son ships out... 

which is actually 10 days because he has to be at the recruiting

office at 3:00 the day before, then on to a hotel for the night.

We can take him out for dinner that night as long as we stay 

very close by (preferably in the hotel) and have him in 

his room by 10:00pm.We will go to MEPS  the next

day to see him do the final swearing-in 

(the "no turning back, you're in the Navy now" one) 

and  then say good-bye. Some parents go to the airport and

 hang out, but unless our son requests this, I think I'll pass. 

I can only take so many farewells.

Things seem surreal. It is hard for me to imagine him gone,

despite the 10 months we have known this date.

I am very excited, proud and grateful for this opportunity

for my son, but it is bittersweet. 

I don't even know what to do these last days.

He seems quiet and a bit withdrawn. I know this 

is not unusual and is part of the separation process.

I have the business of organizing an "Anchors Aweigh"

 party to distract me. Then come the good-byes 

and the long wait for communication from boot camp.

What a ride this has been...

and it has barely begun! 

with open hands...

Every day I receive gifts. The world offers such beauty, 

so much opportunity, so many choices.

I am learning, through this journey, how very much our choices

 and our attitudes define us. 

I am striving, every day, to open my eyes, my hands, my heart. 

I am choosing to be grateful for the gift of letting go. 

My son will soon spread his wings against the wide, wild sky.

 His life will unfurl before him. And I will know that we have loved him well, 

that he has been raised to be honorable, caring and brave. 

He will take his own path out into the world, but our love

 will follow him, buffet him against storms and trials, 

remind him that we are here, a heartbeat away,
always lifting him upward and onward.  

~♥~

prayers

Today I am taking a break from my rambling to encourage prayers, donations, good vibes... whatever you can offer to those affected by the massive earthquake in Japan this morning and tsunamis following. 

There is reassuring news from our Naval facilities in Japan. 

The tsunami waves are just beginning to be felt in Hawaii where many of our sailors and their families are located.
If you are looking for a reputable agency to donate to for disaster relief,
I recommend the United Methodist Committee on Relief. 

~♥~
~~~UPDATE~~~
The USS Ronald Reagan will be joining the 7th Fleet
in recovery and relief efforts. 
Godspeed to these brave sailors.