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.

Cool Does Not Last Forever

When I was in fourth grade, I remember the night of the school play. While I got ready, my parents got ready as well. I don’t recall what my mother wore, probably because it was very similar to what other moms would have on.

At this point in history, the 70’s, everyone seemed to be finding fashion. Parents began showing up to events looking like Mike and Carol Brady cones. Not my dad, oh no.

My dad came out of the bedroom dressed in his Sunday finest. Literally, he had a gray suit on, one of the ones he would wear to church. He always wore a suit to church. Always. Of course with his suit, he wore a crisp shirt and a tie that matched, but probably wasn’t in style at the time. He had his horn-rimmed glasses on too. I thought, “Geez, Dad, no one else will be that dressed up.”

Mind you, putting that suit on meant that he had come home from his job at Bethlehem Steel, washed up, shaved, slicked his hair back in a not-Mike-Brady style. My dad was a bit older than my mom, and that knowledge always gave me the impression that he wouldn’t ever match the cool factor of other dads. That didn’t stop me from wishing he would, just once.

That being said, when it was my turn to go on stage, my eyes searched the small audience for my parents. There they both were, about three rows back, right in the middle. My dad was the only guy in a suit, but he had the biggest smile I his face, maybe the biggest I recall seeing. That was very cool!

In the years that followed, my dad got a bit more fashionable. He finally got rid of his of horn rimmed glasses (I think they stopped making that frame). At one point, he did sport a leisure suit, which honestly, was so much more awful than his old suits! The one thing that never wavered was that he was NOT “cool.” We were never allowed as children to break or bend rules. He never gave us the freedom others had. There was the right way, and the way the rest of the world did it.

I guess it should come as no surprise that my own children don’t really find me “cool.” I think they have gotten used to it. Maybe someday they will even find it charming. The thing is, that cool is for a moment; right is forever.

Among the many things that used to be cool: smoking, drinking & getting behind the wheel, not wearing a seat belt, 60’s free love, and I could go on and on. Now we know better. Currently, video games, I-pads, I-phones, brand name clothing and merchandise, rap music that is violent/degrading to women, late night comedy, all cool. Perhaps some of that will remain. Hopefully, we’ll wise up on some of those.

So, when asked: do I think it is cool for the President of the United States, any one of them (past, present or future), to turn up on late night comedy? Might be cool, but I definitely don’t think it’s necessary. 

Welcome!

Welcome! This blog is a space for those of us who have a passion for our country, our soldiers, and our way of life. I created this blog so we can come together as unabashed proud Americans and share what we are thinking and feeling. 

If you are like me, you probably feel like this country is in the midst of some turbulent times. It feels like we are on an uncertain path. This blog space is not for politics, right or left. There are other forums for that. We have a much more important topic to explore.

I call myself a patriot mom because I am a mom of four sons. Just like many of you, I was raised with a deep love for my country by parents who were themselves patriotic. My parents came from a generation when it seemed everyone felt that love of country, no matter what. Today it seems we are losing that a little. Not if I can help it.