She decided to join the Navy....

[Susanw004]

Hello everyone!

My daughter has recently informed me that she will be joining the Navy.  This is something I did NOT expect from her as she is what I call a "girly girl".  She has done her homework on the Navy, she knows it will be the hardest thing she will ever do.  But she is determined to make something of her life and this is the path she has chosen.  She is 17 and will be graduating from high school in May.

When she first told me (and she was scared to death to tell me), I was shocked and kind of angry that she would want to do this.  However I didn't let her see that.  I have been 100% supportive and encouraging.  When she is not around, that is a completely different story.  I am sad.  She is my only child and I can't imagine her being gone so far away and for so long.

Tonight, for the first time, I sat outside and bawled my eyes out.  You know...the ugly cry!!  She wasn't home.  I keep remembering her a small innocent child, playing in our pool and calling me "mommy".  This is the memory that continues to go through my head when I think about her leaving.  Are there stages of emotions, like there are with death?  I would love to hear other mom's stories about how they felt with and dealt with the news that their child was going into the military. 

I look forward to getting to know all of you other moms out there as time goes on.  Thank you for reading, thank you for supporting each other and God Bless!

Susan

[ATIMOM]

Hi Susan,

Your daughter sounds like she could be my daughter's long lost twin. My daughter is 5 feet tall and weighs about 100 pounds. She is almost 24, but emotionally immature for her age. She, too, is a girly-girl...my little princess. She has her cosmetology and nail tech licenses, but was struggling to find solid work. Her grades were slipping in college and I pressed her to figure something out before she got much older. She is very much into makeup, beauty, and fashion and belongs to several online groups...even has her own beauty blog. So, needless to say, when she decided to go the way of the Navy I was a bit shocked. I started to get excited about her going off and finding her moxy, but as the days drew closer I started to question the wisdom of having pushed her so hard. After she left, I was certain I had been an idiot. But, then I remembered how much the Navy did for me when I was her age and started to let myself off the hook a bit. That was until I got her phone calls and first few letters from boot camp. She was a blubbering mess and I felt to helpless and powerless. Truly, there is no worse feeling for a Mom...at least not one that I have experienced to date. My daughter worked so hard to graduate on time. She faced many adversities and was SIQ (sick in quarters) several times. Every time they place a recruit SIQ they miss training days and risk not graduating on time. But, she DID IT! She grabbed her boot straps and didn't let anything hold her back; all while being largely ostricized by the rest of her division for being over-emotional. When I saw her at Pass-In-Review, I bursted with pride and tears as she marched into the drill hall with her division. She was up front carrying one of the division flags and I was mesmerized by the transformation before my eyes. I so very proud of her, as you will be when your daughter graduates. My daugher is in Pensacola, FL for A school now. She is an AT-I and will be there for 9-12 months and hopefully for C school as well. Even though she is 7 hours away from me, I take comfort in knowing that at least she is in her home state. She told me that they are pretty lenient about letting the trainees leave base with their parents. So, we will be driving her car out to her in a couple of weeks and spending the weekend with her. What job did your daughter contract for? Is she Seaman, Airman, Fireman, or Constructionman branch? It would be cool if your daughter was aviation and going to P-cola too. I could arrange for the two of them to meet up and get to know each other. I look forward to your reply,

Beverly

[lemonelephant]

ATIMOM, Thanks for sharing. I see you have joined Aviation Electronics Technician (AT); you may also want to join Sailors In Pensacola, FL For A School....Corry Station too!! and/or Parents of A School Sailors in Pensacola as well as checking out Women in the Navy, Mom’s of Navy Daughters, and Mom's of Daughters 2.

(Group names are clickable links.)

[ATIMOM]

Thanks, Lemonelephant. Appraciate the info. I have been poking around the site for the past week or so.

[lemonelephant]

You are very welcome.

[Susanw004]

Thank you Beverly :-). I am off to work again but I will send you a private message later tonight!!!

[tammy]

I was in complete shock when my daughter joined.. I know the feeling.. My sadness has been replaced with pride.. She is following her dreams..  Next week she graduates.. I am so excited.. Hang in there.. I have wrote her every day.. That is what she wanted.. Sometimes I just told her about my day.. It helped alot.. Stay strong, keep the faith, you got this...

[navydaughtersmom13]

My daughter graduated boot camp in January and is now in Virginia. She will be deployed in July. When she told us she was joining I understood but it doesn't make me miss her any less or worry any less. She is loving it and is very proud of her accomplishments. Just know that she is not alone in this journey. There are many others (trainers, mentors etc.) that are there for her. My daughter is loving her new found sense of pride and independence. She is an airman and proud of it! Just be there and support her. We are also here if you need us and yes I cried like a baby when she left for boot camp, when she graduated and then again when she left for Virginia! Its normal and natural.

[MIMI1414 ship 9 div 255]

Thank you for posting what you have posted.  My daughter just went in this past Monday and it's nice to know that there are other mothers out there feeling the same way I do.  Congratulaions and good luck with graduation.

[Windeaq]

I'm terrified also. I want whats best for her but I can't imagine having to let her go!

[GennyMac]

You know, 4 years ago my given son (step son) had that same conversation with me and I held my tongue.  All the kids in my family (most of whom  I helped raise and am still one of their closest advisers) went to college and became scientists (4 PhDs) teachers (2), lawyers (I can't keep up), and business people.  My dad was in the Army, but that was WWII and everyone who could go went. 

I was not happy with his decision - was not at all impressed with where he wanted to ultimately end up (Spec Ops).  I wanted him to choose something that would challenge him intellectually and help him build a life traveling and being a member of the global community (sounds pretty arrogant, huh?) like all my kids had done

I am so very thankful I stepped away from that conversation with my mouth firmly shut tight.  It took me a week (until I saw him next) to realize that he was doing exactly what I had hoped he would do, just in his own way, and not 'our' way.  He was not born in this family, he came to it through a blessing we are thankful to have been graced with, and he is the product of his whole family, not just my part of it. 

So, I put my hoitty toitty attitude back in my pocket and continued what I had been doing from the beginning of our relationship - supporting his dreams as best I could, worked with him to develop an action plan to make him successful in reaching his goal, and got as much guidance from experts that I could find to help me help him.

Which is how I found this group.  I find that I tear up when he and his Dad watch movies about what he wants to do, (Tears in the Sun) and I haven't yet read the books he has begun to stack up on my shelf (Lone Survivor)  as I begin thinking of what he'll be faced with - what he's marching into as hard and as fast as they will let him.  Then I usually take a walk and come home with the smile that tells him I am with him every single step of the way. 

I'll likely have my ugly cry when he hits Coronado.  That will be my reality check.

[FBmom3]

My son is 8 months in and even though I have such tremendous pride in him and support him 100% I still find myself tearing up and crying out of nowhere because I miss him so much (especially when I read or come across posts like this)...ahhh the life of a Navy Mom.  :')

[angi]

I am going thru the same exact thing. my daughter is 17 graduating in june & the day she enlisted I cried all dang day. I hear it gets easier (at least I hope so) does she have a date yet?