Sending Off

Sending off a child to serve our country is something I’ve yet to experience . . . until now. The thoughts and mere wonder of experiences have overwhelmed my thoughts in recent days imagining the new world, daily routine, rigor that my son has yet to face.

It’s been a quick journey actually. With a delayed appointment, the news came late and swift. But when the decision was delivered, it seemed to move with the force of nature itself – creating a firestorm of activity.

With the fierce chaos, came the realization that my son will be gone – though not forever, for a very long time. It’s like my best friend is moving away. It makes me sad, but knowing what I do about where he is headed, I am at peace and humbled by his desire to serve and help others — more so honored beyond words.

More difficult days are ahead and processing this day is like the introduction to a large novel — without it the story makes no sense. So, today’s send off serves as a celebration of that which is yet to come as well as a lighthouse to those days in my future to saying goodbye.

My intent for this journey is to capture my thoughts of his experience in real-time, sharing my ideas, understanding, and encouragement with him stamped in time forever to be read when he catches back up with the schedule of life he traded in for an amazing adventurous future.

I couldn’t be more proud.