The Box Has Arrived

[Rhonda]

My son left for Great Lakes on Tuesday, today I returned home to discover "The Box" on my porch. Man are they fast! I knew it was coming, expected it really...still...when I realized what it was I almost couldn't bring myself to open it..I had a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I have to say it was a terribly odd and sad experience opening that box. Many moms have described it as a feeling that your child has died and it does feel that way..it feels like the death of what he was with anticipation of what he is to become. You could tell it was hurriedly prepared. We didn't send much with him..some toiletries for his hotel stay, a jacket and sweatshirt as we knew the weather had gotten bad in Chicago, his wallet which held his drivers license, ss card, 20 dollars, and his debit card, small pad of paper, pen, envelopes, stamps, small address book and I threw in a note from "mom" that he would find in the hotel that night. I was curious to see what they let him keep..for any of you that are wondering what they can or should bring...they returned everything except..drivers license, ss card, envelopes, stamps, address book and wallet. They even returned his toothbrush and deodorant and debit card.
When you get the box make sure to look through all pockets on clothes and bag. I found some cool things...his boarding pass, copy of his contract he signed at MEPS, and a receipt for McDonalds at the Chicago airport. I had to laugh at that..because it is just like him to get in one more McDonalds trip at the last minute..LOL I swear the whole thing almost felt as though the Navy was saying "here is the part of him that belongs to you, now he's ours!"

[Madeline]

I received the box yesterday with all of my son's belonging; I did not realize how much of an emotional impact this box was going to have on me. When I opened up the box and starting taking everything out a got a knot in the pit of my stomach and my knees became very weak, I had to go and sit down and I began to cry and still as I am typing this I am starting to cry again with just the thought of the contents in the box; I thought saying good bye was the most difficult part of this ordeal but I was absolutely wrong, now I could say receiving that box was much more difficult then anything I have ever experience. When my son left on Sunday I closed the door to his bedroom and have been avoiding going in until I can gather the strength with in me; however I was not prepare for the emotions that I experienced last night with the box and I am not going to post my thoughts during this ordeal however I will say that the Navy should have a little bit more consideration for the mothers feelings, because receiving and seeing all the last pieces of wardrobe that I last seen my son dress in is very emotional. Also I finally received the 30 second phone call from my son last night however I was not able to really say much because it was so quick.

[JunieB]

When my son's box arrived, I cried. I had not seen him for 5 months before he joined (I had spoken with him on the phone& knew what was going on) but getting that box was a finality. The "this is it, no going back"
But i think it is a necessary thing. It forces you to realize that he is no longer 'yours' he belongs to our country now and that it was his decision. You have to let go.
The whole BC experience is about letting go. It is hard, but in the long run it actually brought my son & I closer together.
He has since graduated, I don't think I could have ever been prouder of him, I still cry thinking about it. He is now at his station 2000 miles away, but I have learned to 'let go' and I think it really started with the box.