April 29

April 29 marks a day in the life of this mom that I keep in my mind's eye, tucked away for safe keeping. It was just two years that my oldest son departed for the Air Force. April 29, 2010. It had been marked on the calendar for months, staring at me. As a parent, you fear the unknown, but in this case, I already knew the torrent of emotions coming for me. I had been through this before.

When Tyler joined the Army two years prior to Tim's departure, I fell almost completely to pieces. Okay, completely to pieces. At one point, I was sitting inside my closet, crying to my sister on the phone. Fear of the unknown, loss of parental dreams, and probably shock, consumed me completely.

Tim's case was a little bit different. He was older when he enlisted. Having gone to college and graduated the year before, I felt a little better. He had been sheltered at college, but he was not a baby in my eyes. I felt he was more ready to go. Whether I was right or wrong, I have no clue. I can only say what I felt. 

We always say that Tim needed more prodding to get going as a child. When he got on the bus for kindergarten, he was hesitant. We had to nudge him forward and say, with a huge, fake smile pasted on, "Go on honey. You'll be fine." When Tyler got on the same kindergarten bus three years later, he didn't even so much as look over his shoulder at us. He flipped his hand in the air, like he was saying "Later, guys! You'll be fine." We went in the house and cried.

It should have surprised no one that Tyler went first to the military. Tim always checked things out thoroughly before taking action, really testing the waters. Tim waited politely to be lifted out of his crib. He hesitated before hopping on that bus. He weighed the military and the branches strongly before he went.

Tyler climbed out of his crib, again and again. We couldn't contain Tyler as a toddler. He climbed on the windowsills. As a teenager, he climbed out the windows. He jumped off the roof. It's a wonder any of us survived his childhood.

Tim eased us into parenting, in many ways. He gave us a chance to catch our breath I think. Funny the things that come to mind, years down the road.

So, when Tim left for the Air Force, it was knowing some of what lay ahead. For us, we knew how it would feel to watch him swear in, to say good bye for what seems like an eternity, and the joy of seeing him again. Our fear was perhaps less because we knew more. (Tim, call your brother, and thank him...)

I'll fast forward for you now. Today, Tim is serving as part of Tops in Blue, a group within the Air Force that provides entertainment and encouragement to military members (and families) world wide. If you'd like a closer look at Tops in Blue, visit Tim's website:  Tim Sentz. 

Some of the Tops in Blue Crew! My son, Tim, is on the very right in the photo.