There He Goes….

My nephew left for his service in the U.S. Army today.  Off to boot camp.  To a new life.  To experience things so many of us will never experience.  To come out the other side a different person.  A better person.  He’s leaving an 18-year-old boy and will come back as an adult.  A man.  It’s hard for me to believe.  He was “my boy” back when he was my only nephew and I didn’t think I would have my own children.  I only lived a few blocks from him when he was a young boy around 2-3 years old and I spent lots of time with him back then.  So long ago.  He’s had a hard life, and I am so PROUD of him and full of JOY for him that he has chosen a path (even though I’m scared) that will enrich his life and turn his life around and make him a better person.  I am so PROUD that he was brave enough (even though he’s scared) to JUST DO IT, to go into the unknown because he knows that it will provide him with opportunities that he could never get here at home, that it will teach him things and it will change him and it will provide him with a better life.  I can’t tell you how proud I am of this kid. 

I drove 2 hours to Indianapolis to watch them swear him in and watch him leave on a bus for his basic training.  It was hard and I didn’t want to watch him go, but I felt like it was something I needed to do and I knew that I would be his only family member there to support him.  So I took my anti-anxiety medication and off I went……. and then off he went. 

He had on a pretty brave face, and I didn’t want to upset him.  I promised myself I wouldn’t cry until he was on that bus and my sunglasses were on so he couldn’t see me.  I did okay until he hugged me goodbye and then I had to choke it down for a couple minutes until he got on the bus.  Wow.  It was hard.  It’s funny how you can be happy and sad at the same time, isn’t it?

Now I’ve got to figure a way to attend his graduation from basic training in Georgia in just 9 weeks.  Sounded like forever when he was leaving, but now that I have to find the money to get there it doesn’t seem like long at all!