Anyone else have this I day experience?

[Wishful]

PS, plebe year -- actually the entire 4 years is a series of ups and downs. You can be on top of the world one day and in the dumps the next. Sometimes it's little things and sometimes big things. It often depends on the timing of what happens.
Don't read too much into any one moment as that moment reflects just that -- a moment. Chances are that the emotions of the moment will change in the next.

Similar advise was in previous posts available for me from 4 years ago & it rang true for our DD. Be prepared for a phone call (for me, once a semester for all 4 years) where your DS will "vent" his feelings. For me, the thing that appeared to work was to listen...listen some more... be supportive & resist the urge to to make recommendations. She just wanted an ear, not a man to fix things..as I was told

 

[cabarle]

My daughter knew the stories, and we made several trips to USNA. She also knew prior Sea Cadets who informed her the realities of I-day and Plebe Summer. I think the realization hit her, but she internalized any fears she had and marched in knowing the support system exists for her. I felt bad for the Plebes who had nobody.

 

[MamaBear4]

SAF,

When we got our 2020 DD to a cool private place on the yard last year she burst into tears. She kept saying it hadn't been that hard, and she "didn't know why she was crying". I was exactly where you are (worrying) until I watched DD standing in ranks to march into B look back and extend her hand and smile toward a young women who was in worse shape than DD was. I swear ,I knew in that moment that my DD would make it through PS: she was outside of herself, in touch with her situation, and her shipmates and she able to act (even if it was just to touch anothers hand and smile).

I know this thread is long, but I just want to point out to you that your Plebe was able to recognize an obligation to pull it together and smile for the cammera. That doesn't sound like much, but whatever happened to him on IDay it wasn't so bad that he couldn't get outside of his own worries/sadness/fear to deliver what DF DM needed (a brave face). I think stepping up to a task when you are tired, scared, lonely, ....... is the core requirement of PS.-------------------------------------- Sounds like he will be just fine.

PS: As my MD/DW looked out over the ranks of DD company waiting to march into Bancroft DW was worried that at least 3 young men would pass-out in the ranks------ they are all still there.

I remember you sharing the part of your daughter touching another girls hand with empathy. That is an example of how these kids think of others.

We attended the 4th of July concert at USMA over the weekend and could see how close my son is already with the NC's on either side of him. Turned out they are his roommates but the fact he has friends already made my heart happy.

Love your story and the message that the hand extension means. Outstanding job raising an empathy filled young woman in a me me me world.