Getting ready for another rollercoaster ride.

My how the time does fly. Time always seemed to drag by when I was a kid. I now understand what my mom, dad and grandparents meant by now wishing time/life away. Sunday will be spent trying to get all Matts cloths back together for him to take, a very pre-Thanksgiving dinner, tears of joy and tears of sadness. Wishing that he didn't have to go so soon but knowing that this is his life now. Then on Monday, I will once again put my son on a bus, only this time I will be putting him on as a Marine, a proud young man... The Greyhound will be pulling out of Jackson around 10:45 a.m. headed for his next step of training. I am beginning to have some of the same fears and worries that I had on July 23. Yes, I know that the very worst part of his training is over. Yes, I know that he will be able to call me on the weekends. But once again I am sending him off into the unknown. Yes he did go through a major transformation from a young child to a very proud young man. He has the courage, dedication, strength, commitment and honor to be one of the very few ... Matt is an extraordinary young man and one that I am so very proud and honored not only to call My Son but to call My Marine. So let's all fasten our seatbelts on this rollercoaster because I can fell that it's going to be a very bumpy ride! What is a Son? A son is a warm spot in your heart and a smile on your lips. In the beginning, he is charmingly innocent, putting his complete trust in you. He comes to you for a hand to hold and for the security only your arms can provide. He shares his tales of adventure and knows how proud you are of his discoveries and accomplishments. All his problems can be solved by a hug and a kiss from you, and the bond you share is so strong it is almost tangible... Time passes, and your innocent little boy starts to test his limits. He lets go of your hand to race into the midst of life without thinking ahead or looking both ways. His problems have grown along with him, and he has learned that you can't always make his life better or kiss his troubles away. He spends much of his time away from you, and though you long for the closeness you once shared, he chooses independence and privacy. Discoveries and accomplishments aren't as easy to come by now, and sometimes he wonders about his worth. But you know the worth of that young man. He is your past and your future. He is hopes and dreams that have made it through each and every disappointment and failure. In your heart, your son is precious and treasured. Together, you struggled through the years trying to find the right amount of independence for each new stage of his life, until finally, you had to learn to let him go. Now you put your trust in him, leaving that son whom you hold so dear totally in his own care. You hope he always remembers that you have a hand for him to hold and arms to provide comfort or support. Most of all, you hope that he believes in himself as much as you believe in him, and that he knows how much you love him.