As fencer said we are taking over the world...my avatar proves it!
Seven years later and I finally feel that the roller coaster ride has officially ended. However, like any amusement park, once off one, you get on another.
I can't begin to explain how you feel as a parent regarding the emotions. I know many of you will be experiencing HS/college graduations in the next few weeks, and I get the pride/relief factor of making it to that goal.
~~~ Been there, done that, but there still are more hurdles to come. No flaming, because I know our DS has a lot more to go as an ADAF officer. This for me was the first time I felt, as a parent, that he is passed the finish line. Like I said, 7 years.
As a military spouse that has sat through many guest speakers droning on, at our DS's (Fencer and mine) I never thought one second when will he end?
It was the most amazing speech ever.
~~~ They winged on the flight line, and as we all walked to it, Fencer and myself remarked how we cried only once. It was not when they walked into the auditorium, nor when the picture was flashed across the screen as their name was called, nor when they turned around to the crowd and everyone gave them a standing ovation that seemed to last forever.
It was the guest speaker, the OG, that told them, as an AF officer/pilot and a parent of a 17 yr old, that it is now time to go after your dreams, and their life was just beginning in the AF.
On a lighter note, Bullet and I spent the two days laughing, because we forgot about bases like Del Rio, and why it is commonly called a different name (play on the word DEL), The BX is about the size of your local lower end grocery store or maybe your Big Lots, the food court is Subway, and Subway only.
That is on top of driving for two hours to nowhere, after taking 2 planes because there is no direct flights to the town that is 2 hours away.
We were at his base for 38 hours, we traveled 27 hours(total). Cost, lack of sleep to be there.... Priceless.
Regret? Only one...should have been smart like Fencer and stayed one more day to relax before heading back.