The weekend after the reunion, we cruised on up to the closest Army base to get Dad a few things he needed for his uniform, and the boys got haircuts at the post barber shop. I was a little tiny bit anxious, I confess, but little man did really well, and the lady wielding the clippers had obviously done this before. Several thousand times. That week. She was great. It is pretty short, but he looks adorable, and he is good for the rest of the summer, I suspect! He made a mess of his shirt in the car on the way up, and then had little hairs on him, so we got a tee at the post exchange with "US Army Soldier in Training" on it. It's a little early for indoctrination :-) but he was more comfy for the rest of the day and it did sort of match his hair. It's a bit of a dance for me... I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for those who willingly give up so much - often literally everything - to defend what they believe; so half of my heart is filled with pride. The other half cannot help but want those I love to never be in harm's way. (I'm clear I am not unique in this dichotomy.) But it helps me to look it in the eye. I'm not trying to raise a little boy shoot-em-up-wanna-be-soldier just because I live here and he is a boy and Daddy has chosen to serve his country (which again, I respect and admire SO much) but I recognize (already) that my little guy is going to make choices that I would not have made for him. And I will tell him what I think, and try, try, try to hear what is in his heart. So, ultimately, this little tangent is not just about military service. If he chose that, I would be proud and terrified, like every other mother out there. That is probably true of any number of paths our children might take. But the larger point of my ramblings is that every day I see him learning something new - and figuring things out on his own - and as he continues this process called growing up I am more and more in awe of mothers in general. That balance between pushing them, pulling them, holding them tight and letting them go; in a million little different ways each and every day just amazes me.
It's funny, this is not where I had intended this post to go, but it just sort of flowed. So, today especially, my hat is off to the moms I know. I had no idea how you felt - until I became one. I have some amazing girlfriends who have already taught me so much - I hope I can remember it all when these things come up for us! For my own mom - and my husband's - I wonder how you managed all we put you through with such grace. I hope I learned something from you along the way. This is a tough job. And a most excellent sorority. Thanks, Ladies.
Let me throw in a quick disclaimer here, Dads are awesome, too. I have an incredible dad, and I married one, too. But, today, I was just thinking and writing as a mom. Those cool men I know are used to our emotional ramblings, and beautifully patient with them - and us. :-) Thanks.
