Son leaves July 12th

[sharbear36(ship 9 div 288)]

I have read some of your posts and I can't say that I'm happy to see how emotional you all are but on the other hand it helps me feel like I'm not going crazy.  I knew that he was leaving on the 12th and I knew that he was going to the hotel on the 11th but yet when he said it, I lost it (not in front of him) because I felt like I was robbed a day.   I guess I had wishful thinking that they would just pick him up on the 12th from my house in the morning.  I'm tearing up as I write this now.  He is my baby boy, my pride and joy, my heart.   I can't' think of a time that I'm not going to just be able to talk to him whenever I want.  I feel so selfish but yet so proud.  It's a horrible mix of emotions.  I plan to be here often because I have a strong feeling I am not going to handle this well at all.

Thanks for creating this group and I hope to find some moms that have their son/daughter leaving the same day also. 

Shari

[julieb1019]

Shari, my son graduated high school and left last year on 7/13/11 . My husband brought him to the recruiter on the 12th. It was the only event that I did not experience with him. My heart was ripped out that morning and it took mr several days to finally stop crying. We did have dinner with him that night at the hotel and then we met him the next morning when he was sworn in at MEPS. I can only reassur you after almost a year that 8 weeks is a very short amount of time in the scheme of things and once he reports to A school you will have normal contact again. I remember believing that things would never be the sZme again after he reported to the recruiter that morning too. The Navy will never take better care of your son than during boot camp. He graduate with confidence and maturitythat will make you feel so proud. Once you receive the form letter and the box and hopefully the first phone call it really does go fast. Have him take his phone with him and he can use it to call you when he arrives at great lakes and then it will come home in the box. The boot camp moms will be your lifeline for a while and those connection s will continue after PIR. Relying on the support of other Moms will help so much on the long road ahead of a military career. I am happy to provide support and information too make these weeks ahead a bit easier for you.

[julieb1019]

I also want to say that you have the right to your feelings because this is such a big adjustment for everyone. I found that a lot of people compared it to going away to college but it is clearly not the same thing at all. Military service is a sacrifice given by those who serve and the families who love them. You just have to find strength which you will and welcome the support of those who really understand how this feels and believe that things will feel better with time.

[sharbear36(ship 9 div 288)]

I get alot of the college comments.  I also got a comment from a friend who's daughter is in the Air Force reserves and she was home so much after boot camp and now is here.  She was only gone alittle longer than the bootcamp and I was still upset she compared the two.  My son will be gone for a long time.  After Navy bootcamp he goes and does a Marine training bootcamp.  It not the Marine bootcamp when you join the Marines but my son is going to be an RPS and he needs to have Marine training.  I had someone say "it's only 8 weeks" ummm no it's not....lol.  Thanks for the kind words

[MOMOF2BOYS]

I'm feeling the same!!!!  Mine is leaving the 11th from NJ.  My heart is broken and I cry at everything.  I even bit off all my nails last night and dont think I realized what I was doing.  He is so ready to go, but difficult for me.  I'm very proud of him but very very sad.  This time coming is coming too fast!!!  Now I'm finding out that I drop him at MEPS on the 10th and he stays in a hotel.  So it's technically taking 1 more day away.  :(   Wish we could all have a glass of wine together through the computer!!  LOL

 

[MamaLamaDingDong: AO/Pensacola]

Raising my glass of wine to you now. My daughter just signed today and is leaving on the 17th. This roller coaster is not at all fun! At least our family vacation is scheduled for next week so she wont miss that!

[sharbear36(ship 9 div 288)]

I had the same reaction when they told me about the hotel and I guess I knew that he would go but when they said it, I had a breakdown because I was robbed a day!!! I attacked the nails too.  Yikes, as I write this I'm getting anxiety....lol.  

[bethr311]

My son is at a hotel in Indianapolis, we (my family) had dinner with him. We meet him at MEPS tomorrow for his swearing in and then he leaves for GL.
Like so many of you moms, I am so proud of him but he is my only child. We have been on our own together for 15 years.
I tell myself that it would be the same if he left for college. He would have a whole new set of experiences and we would have to figure out new ways of relating to each other.
Some of you experienced moms have said the Navy takes good care of our kids, and I appreciate that. I know the purpose of boot camp is to challenge them so they rely on each other and build true teamwork. I'm not a helicopter mom. It's just hard to switch gears from single parent to ... whatever comes next.
I'm sorry, I've been pretty brave all day and now I'm coming unglued. Thank you all for listening,
Beth

[ProudNavyMom]

  Hi Shari!  This is my very first post so I thought a reply to you would be a great place to start!  My son is at the recruiters office as I type.  I dropped him off one hour and 43 minutes ago. We are in Manassas, Virginia.  They haven't left yet.  Tonight he goes to the hotel and then to MEPS and Great Lakes tomorrow.  We can go through this together.  Haha!  It looks like he will be the only one in his hotel room tonight and I'm afraid that it will give him too much time to fret and think.  It sure would have been nice if he had another person to talk to.  I managed to be all stoic this morning and so did he.  I never saw a tear in his eye until he kissed his cat goodbye.  Not me, the CAT.  :)  -Julie

[sharbear36(ship 9 div 288)]

Hi Julie,

I'm at hotel now waiting for him to check in so I can grab him until 8:00, then I'm staying here until he has to go to his room at 10:00. I'm pretty much freaking out at this point. Maybe they'll be roomies :)

[Lisa D]

Hi Shari ~  I went through this ordeal a week ago.  My son swore in on July 5th and has been gone now for almost a week.  I was very emotional about the whole thing but was so proud of myself because I didn't cry when I hugged him goodbye.  I know he didn't need my tears.  He needed to see how proud I am of him and his choice to serve our country, and how happy I am for the opportunities ahead of him.  So I was all hugs and smiles.  I had done all my crying in private before he left anyway :(.  I pray a lot and I know God gave us what we both needed in the moment.

So give yourself some room to feel your feelings - they are so valid!  But offer your son your strength and confidence tomorrow.  You'll be glad you did!

Feeling it with you!

 

~ Lisa (Erik's Mom)

[sharbear36(ship 9 div 288)]

Hi,

I wish I found your strength, I hugged him and couldn't let go. I was the last to hug him after many of his friends that came along. His poor 14 year old sister is a disaster. So there were many tears shed including my son which was hard to see. I will see him briefly tmo at MEPS. Thanks for the support :)

[Barb(Ship9Div288)]

Hello, Shari. I also felt a little cheated to find out my son had to stay in a hotel Wednesday night. We did see him swear in to active service yesterday (Thursday) and got to stay with him at the airport. More than we expected, but never enough. We got our last call at 12:55 this morning that he was there and safe. He is on Ship 9 Div 288 (already called the recruiter).

I am in the same turbulent boat of emotions as everyone else, but trying to keep it together. Glad to find others feeling the same. Hope everyone's day is going well. I understand it's supposed to get easier...

 

Barb