kristie;4389144 said:
my father was in the air force for 24 years. it was the best decision he ever made because it taught him so much in terms of confidence and discipline, & he applies what he's learned at his current job, which he's had since he retired in 1999.
Confidence and discipline. I'm hoping that, if my son decides this is what he wants to do, that it will instill exactly this in him. Re-instill, I should say. He used to have confidence and be the top of his game, but he went through some things that shook him to his core, and has had trouble regaining his place in the universe. I'm looking for a way for him to get "himself" back. He's such a great kid, you know. He doesn't drink or do drugs, he doesn't hurt people, not an unkind word to anyone (except his brother, lol), he volunteers to stay after school to learn something he hasn't mastered yet, helps me and his dad with anything we need, he's got his brother's back, etc. Most kids don't care nowadays. He has done so many wonderful things in his young life. He is a warrior by nature. He is an angel with a broken wing. That's how I see him today. I see that he could do these great things on a grander scale. Never thought the military would be the outlet, but now I think I do.
My dad, when he was in a wheelchair suffering from a broken pelvis caused by his cancer, he called Joey his "left leg", because Joey always insisted on being the one to push his wheelchair through the hospitals and keep him mobile. No one else was allowed to. He was only 13 yrs old. No matter how tough it got to see his Grandpa going through this horrible time, he was always right there beside him, giving freely of himself, anything and everything he had, to my dad who needed so much help. He even assisted me in changing the bandages on my dad's painful wounds. He did this for a year and a half, and was right beside him when my daddy took his last breath. Same thing with my Mom, he was right there for her, doing everything she asked of him, up until the day she died (which was the year after my dad did). Even before they were sick, he was there, doing everything they needed him to do. Not to mention the fact that, due to the extreme circumstances when we first found out my dad had cancer, his grades slipped, and his school decided to kick him out, rather than help him (and even though I fought for help, they wouldn't give it). He had to deal with the emotions from that, while dealing with the emotions of seeing his Grandpa suffer so much. He has the ability to rise above for the task at hand. (great trait for military service, I would think) He's just such a good guy and has not been treated in kind.
But when my folks died, he did too a little, because he loved them so much. They were so much more than just a huge part of his life. And I cannot even begin to describe all the help and the love and patience he has given to me, for all I have been through, as well. I call him a warrior, champion, hero, and he gets embarrassed. He doesn't understand the great things he has done. He just did them out of love. And for that I owe him my life. How can I best repay him? By giving him what I do not have the money to buy. A wonderful life.
We are still trying to recover from everything. And I just think that fulfilling some lifelong dreams is what he deserves. And it would be good for him, to experience the world and do what he loves to do, and have great structure and discipline, too, which he could use a good dose of. He needs to regain some of what he lost during the terrible times we experienced in the awful days and years that my folks died. For some reason I feel like this may be the way for that to happen. Doesn't come close to any other options he has.
