Dear Mom. It's 3am, it's quiet, a slight breeze rustles the tree broughs [all those years of education]. Suddenly, flood lights flare on, the sheets are ripped off your warm bed, and a 300-lb. guy is two inches away screaming out his lungs and spitting all over your face...
...I spend all day screaming nonsense, running in circles, and marching in a big square for 15 hours a day...
...we were issued our service rifles and I got punished for smiling too much when they gave it to me...
...things are improving, but too slowly for some. We've lost four kids so far. Two said they were suicidal and two said they were hearing voices in their heads...
...I love you, Mom. Write....
...P.S....In case you are wondering what religion I am now, I am a Catholic because you get a cookie if you go to the Catholic church...
I had about forty minutes before the last mail pick-up, so I answered:
Hi, Timmy! ...
I knew you would get into trouble for smiling too much at some point. Naturally it would be about a weapon...
...I don’t want you to be a Catholic, but I can understand about the cookie. Tell them you forgot, you are actually Amish, you might get a whole meal...
...The fish is sitting on the picnic table. I don’t know what to do with it. I am afraid of it...
...R. has been asking if I’ve heard from you. Naturally as you can imagine [former Marine], he thinks it is just the coolest thing ever that you enlisted in the Marines. Last night, D. stopped by. He wondered if I had heard from you. Since I hadn’t, he listened to me worrying and shrieking for awhile. I’ll go by and let him know I heard from you and that you are still alive...
...I love you, honey, and miss you so much. Things will never be the same now.
Love, Mom Dear Reader, I ran into the grocery with the idea of putting a stick of gum into Timmy's letter. All the gum seemed to be fat little pillows. Don't they make flat gum any more? I am so old.
17 comments:
Karen, so glad you have your first letter -- it won't stop the worrying, but at least you can now write to Tim.
As a mother of a former Army helicopter pilot, I totally understand the maternal worry and the relief getting that first letter. All us mothers are with you, Karen, and we wish nothing but positive experiences for your son.
Please continue to share with us, if and when you want to. We care.
Ah, that's nice you finally heard form him. It must be a bit of a relief. I still get the long skinny flat Wrigleys in a 5 pack. Try a small store.:)
Oh, Karen, thanks for sharing this with us! A friend at church just went through marine boot camp with her son....I heard the same things! She just went out for his graduation last week.
You and he will both make it!
Bari
Oh yeah, you can still get the flat gum but he'd probably get in trouble with it! LOL Mine went thru Marine boot camp YEARS ago and, when I went for his graduation, was AMAZED watching the film showing what they went thru and thinking 'my son did all THAT?'!!! Just wait, the REALLY fun part is coming with the thousand lb. packs they hafta carry up those 90 degree hills! OK, maybe not a thousand!! HAHA He'll be FINE!
I'm so glad you got a letter - I can just feel your excitement at finding it in the mail. And I'm SO glad you didn't find the gum - the resulting troubles at the other end just wouldn't have been worth it *s*
"Extra" gum is flat! And all kinds of flavors too. ;-)
God's blessings to both you and your son. I love that you both hold onto your wonderful senses of humor!
Hang in there, Mom. You will both come through this, although YOU might start to hear voices in your head! LOL
Glad you finally heard from your son, but don't think it will stop you from worrying - those days ended when he was born! My two oldest are almost 40 and I STILL worry!
I can see that he has his mother's sense of humor, too!
I love this kid!!!! you know he's ok--- he hasn't lost his sense of humor... I know it's tough on Mom's. Can't wait till the next letter....
I'm sure it's hard on both of you, but try not to worry, he's tough and his sense of humor will carry him through. Must have learned it from his mother!
I'm glad you heard from him...and he writes so well. Maybe he'll have a blog some day? He looks so young in the picture. I had completely forgotten about the recruiter picking them up. They don't want them to change their mind!
Thanks for sharing your letter from Timmy. He is so funny! I am sending good thoughts to you both to make it through boot camp:)
WHat a precious, funny letter! My son just completed Special Forces training and has his Green Beret! A friend of our has a son that recently finished Marine Boot Camp. All I can say is WoW - what great guys we have!!!!
I always enjoy reading the letters sent by you and Timmy. How proud you must be that he chose to be a Marine!
Ok. That brought tears to my eyes. What fun and tender letters!
Oh good! A letter from Boot Camp! Timmy is so funny! You both crack me up. Smiling too big over the gun--what a guy thing! And let's hope he never faces an enemy with a pkg of Oreos. Lol!
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