Military Mommas are Built Differently
So, your son/daughter has decided to join the military; now what? It’s natural to feel the loss of your child when they grow up and move on, but why does your child leaving for the military hit so much different than sending your baby off to college?
You’re About To Lose Your Heart
It’s a simple answer: THE UNKNOWN. Even after doing all the research you have, you’re still not going to know all the answers. Things will change daily; no matter how much you prepare yourself, you will never be ready to let your baby go. The day comes, and their recruiter comes to pick them up, and it’s almost like you are watching your heart walk away from you. But then that pride sneaks up on you, and it takes over your pain, and the tears you feel are no longer of sadness but of extreme pride in your kid, your country, and a little bitty bit for yourself for raising such an outstanding young man/woman.
You’re Going to Wait. A Lot.
And then you wait. And wait. And wait some more. Your brain has come up with at least 45 different scenarios of what could be happening and what your child is going through. The truth is, they are waiting too. The first week or so in processing is the hardest. You don’t have a way to communicate; no way of knowing if they are eating or sleeping or if they have blankets or pillows. Are they too cold or too hot? Getting in trouble? Your instinct is to pick up the phone and find a way to communicate with them. You need to know they are okay. Grief has hit you like you’ve lost a member of your family. Their room is empty, and you can’t stop thinking about them.
I can assure you, momma; it gets better once you get that phone call; the scripted call that gives you just enough details to ensure your momma’s brain, but not enough for you to know for sure your baby is okay. The second that call comes, things change. Your child is now officially a soldier-in-training, and you can already hear it in their voice. Cue those pride tears – they will come flooding out the second you hang up the phone.
Basic Training is So Hard
The first week of basic training is hard on everyone. They are getting into the groove of living with others, not having the luxuries they are used to, and it’s common for them to feel homesick. But then the first Sunday comes around, and your solider-in-training makes their first facetime call to you. Your heart melts, but it also hardens. They are still your baby, but they have already changed so much. Grown-up. Different, but in a good way. Pride tears are standard here, too. But you’re naturally going to feel stronger, too; after all, you’re a military momma now.
It Gets Easier, Momma
As the weeks start to move forward, Sundays become your favorite day of the week because of the phone calls they usually bring about. The greatest part about this whole experience is those phone calls. Ask questions, momma! Show your baby how proud you are of them, and learn as much as possible about what they are going thru! Doing so ensures those phone calls will get longer and longer, and then by the time AIT comes along, you’ve gained a new best friend. You’ve found a new respect for them as adults because of everything they have gone through, and they’ve gained a new-found trust in you that they didn’t think they had before leaving.
No More Tears
So no more tears, momma. None of this is easy, and it’s not meant to be. If it were, everyone would do it. You’ll feel a loss greater than you’ve ever felt over the next few weeks, but your son/daughter will be a trained soldier at the end of the training cycle. And you are now a military momma. Military mommas are built differently. They are tougher than nails, flexible, and ready for anything; it’s ingrained into us, and we’ve been training for this for a really long time. After all, we raised heroes.
