Proud to be an American

Carter’s school had a Veteran’s day program today and we took up a whole row with his fan club. Carter made all the calls and invited all his grandparents and he wanted to invite Mikail. Everyone gladly accepted and Mikail said he would plan to wear his dress blues uniform.  He looked fantastic! He even shaved his head for the occasion! The program completely exceeded my expectations.  It was quite a tribute to the men and women who have fought for our country’s freedoms and who have made the sacrifice to serve for our country.  I’m so glad that our children are learning about this!  I know I never did as a child!  There’s something about children’s voices singing in unison… the National Anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance… then each grade level shared some facts and sang the theme song of each division of the armed forces.  Carter’s class sang to the Navy… I’ve heard him practicing… “Anchors away my boys, anchors away…goodbye to college days…ships ahoy…”  but to hear them all together and see them marching and saluting.  It was precious!  They had any veterans or military personnel from each branch stand and allow the children to sing a tribute to them.  When it was the Marines, Mikail stood at attention.  So tall, so humble, so deserving of a parade in his honor for his SEVEN years of service!  Memories came flooding back to me of the day he enlisted. The tears I shed that day because the war had just started.  How he had to put school on hold to serve during the Katrina disaster and then again for the whole year last year when he was in Iraq and Afghanistan.  We’ve watched him grow up, from his seventh birthday party where we first met and roller skated together to dancing with him at our wedding. Seeing him make a straight face in his ROTC uniform in high school and then earning his Marine uniform coming back from bootcamp so skinny and looking much older than his enlistment photo.  To this mature man before us.  A Marine.  A decorated Marine.  SO thankful that his tour ended safely.  The prayers lifted up on his behalf.  Little voices remembering him during dinner and bedtime prayers and those random grocery store “I hope Mikail is ok” prayers.   The too few care packages we sent that reached him months later.  Imagining him in his tiny bunker. Seeing web video of his glamorous sleeping conditions and carrying the 80 lb bulletproof vest and 20 lb machine gun and I don’t even know how much amo weighs.  He’s a Marine.  He’s seen more darkness than I even know.  But still has such a tender heart and has won the affections of our children.    After the ceremony where I think all the grandfathers shed tears! (I know I did!)  And our hearts were swelling with American pride… then the Marine changed into combat clothes and single handedly took on the boyz for some man-to-man combat in the basement. He was talking to me today about his school plans and when he’s done about joining Big Brothers to serve as a Big… I told him later he’s serving in that role to our four boyz.   We love you Mikail!  Thanks for all you are to our family and all that you’ve done to serve our country!  We salute you!!  We’re so proud of you and the man you have become!