I agree with Luise, there is a great deal of strength here.. I'm thankful that I was able to latch onto some of it and make great strides in my own life. We are anticipating one of the best holidays seasons of our lives, as it will be the first that we will have the family together along with the kids, dil, gf, and bf. My son's deployment will not sadden me, as I know he's lived his life for these opportunities, I am so incredibly proud of him along with everyone who is in the military. I haven't seen him since his last deployment and I'm sure that we will be taken back by the maturity that he gained over the last year. My younger son will have graduated with his Master's by Christmas and will continue with his plans to return to Japan, in hopes of asking his girlfriend's father to allow his daughter to marry him and return to the USA. And my 23 yo dd has now become one of my best friends. No longer do I have to keep that friendship distant as I was determined to be her mother first.
I'm not saying that I'm anywhere near ready for life to end, but this is what I prayed for my entire existence as a parent.. let me be there until my children can make their own way through life.
My son was crying one night when he was young and when I asked him what was bothering him he said that he was afraid that I would die before I ever wrote a beautiful song. I thought it was a wonderfully heartfelt way for him to express himself and I assured him that I had already began to write my song and it would be finished when I raised three children to write their song next.
