Dear Son

Dear Son,
Tomorrow you graduate, and I am so proud and so overwhelmed with emotions I am afraid I won't make it through the day without embarrassing you just a little. You are an awesome son, and I couldn't be more proud. When you were little every night before bed I would tell you a story. I would tell you that if god lined up all the little boys in the world and said I could have any one I wanted, I would still pick you. I meant it then and and I mean it now. You have made my life such a great adventure these last 18 years and I am a better person because of you.
This is the letter your dad wrote last year when he was in Afghanistan and we had it put in your yearbook, I would like to share it with all my blog friends....

Son, As you reflect back on your journey to becoming a man you can be certain that you could not have made us prouder. Through life experiences that set you apart from many of your peers, you have gained an understanding of the world that few at your station in life have. You have accomplished many things, which at the time seemed impossible, through courage and sheer determination. You have shown measured aggressiveness and unusual compassion while learning valuable life lessons in places that most people have never heard of. You have demonstrated that you understand that a man and his character are judged by many things, and that honor and integrity are things that he cannot compromise. As you graduate and head off to University, know that you have been for many years now, and will continue to be, our hero. Love Mom and Dad


We love you son, congratulations on this milestone in your life and we look forward to all the others.

My Son is A Global Nomad

So today I have been thinking about what the Month of the Military Child Means..(thanks for all the great articles from International School of Lome)..
I am reminded today that my son is indeed a Global Nomad. When we were in Africa my son was given a book titled just that, "Global Nomad" it was written by a State Department brat that describes a child that has lived on 4 continents before the age of 12, and my son had done exactly that. We were first stationed in NC, we traveled cross country from Arizona and settled here when my son was 2. A few years later up we went to Asia, Okinawa to be exact. We loved it there, Michael thrived there and we really enjoyed submerging ourselves in the culture. My son is a redhead and as you can imagine that is quite rare so it was not unusual to see locals snapping photos of him and wanting to touch his head, he didn't mind as much as I did. After about 4 1/2 years off we went to Spain. We moved to Spain when my husband was selected to be a Detachment Commander at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid. Again, it was really a wonderful experience and my son thrived and really won over the locals with his zest for all things Spanish. He went to the International School of Madrid and met kids from Spain as well as some Army Brats that he became very close too in a short time. After about 2 years off we went to another great location...West Africa! Yes, we landed in Lome, Togo a tiny country nestled in West Africa, a french speaking country this time..yep, he went from Okinawan to Spanish to French. And again, the International School of Lome where he was the only (native) ENGLISH speaking student in the whole middle school. You would never know and he loved it. The teachers, some American, his teacher from the Congo, all took to him, of course and he was very happy. He learned how to speak Ewe the tribal language of the local children and it wasn't uncommon for me to come home and find a house full of Togolese children passed out in the rare treat of air conditioning in my living room. The things my son learned living overseas are priceless, the things I learned living overseas are life changing. My son never looks at another human being and "assumes" anything. He knows we are all different and all the same. We all love our families and all want to provide for our families. He gets the whole multicultural lesson, he has lived it. He knows what it is like to live in a country and not speak the language so his tolerance for others is much higher when meeting those that don't in his country. I think his being a "military brat" is something we can not put a price on. He knows our flag and all her glory, he know the price those have paid to defend her and is ready to write his own check in defense of her. He comes from a long proud legacy of those who are willing to defend her. He knows his mom and dad were also Marine Brats, one grandfather fell in Vietnam, and one who went and was lucky enough to come home. He looks at his dad and he beams at the his service and longs for the day he can follow. I for one am the proud mother of this Military Brat..and for all the brats out there..I salute you.