What a ride these last past few days have been. Wednesday, Micah, Buddy, Lauren, Reagan, her mother, and myself left bright and early for San Diego. You see our middle son, Taylor has been in boot camp for the Marines since March 19th. It has been a long three months, longer for him though I am sure. We left DFW airport and arrived in San Diego around 9 a.m., rented a car and went to Coronado Island to kill time before our hotel room was ready. We left Dallas with temperatures in the 80's-90's only to never get above high 60's in San Diego, needless to say some were a little cold lol.
We picked up Stephen and headed to the Meet and Greet for India Company Platoon at Coyote Cafe in Old Town San Diego. It was great getting to meet the other parents and families of the platoon members.
Thursday morning we arrived early to see Taylor in the Moto Run and to our surprise they were practicing for graduation and we got to see him up close and personal, though you still could not get close enough to touch him - we at least could see him and he knew we were there! Taylor made Guide of his Platoon - what an honor! His dad and I are so very proud of him. (that is Taylor holding the flag with the white gloves on)
After watching a video and listening to the Do's and Don’ts we were finally able to spend the afternoon with our Marine! I don’t think any of us every stopped smiling just from the sheer joy of being in his presence that afternoon. It was so good seeing him after all this time and what a transformation! He left a 19 year old boy and returned to us a Marine. We left him after feeding him at least three times that afternoon. It was amazing to see him eat - the amount he could fit in his mouth and the time it took him to eat it.
Friday was the big day! We left early to see the Color Ceremony, have breakfast and get our seats for graduation. It was a beautiful ceremony which started out with the San Diego Marine Corps Band and ended with the Guides handing off the platoon flags to the DIs. One of the most amazing moments is when Taylor and the other guides were called up front and honored for being Platoon Honor Guides, though a funny moment is when they tried to pronounce our city, Watauga Texas which came out as Wattatooga - I laughed through my tears!
After sitting Taylor down and talking to him about our new job and upcoming adventure, which he took very well considering, we spent the afternoon with our new Marine at the San Diego Zoo. Saturday, we took Stephen back to the airport and then went shopping for some new "civy" clothes and took him to his first movie in three months - The Avengers!
We left for DFW later that evening and finally arrived back home. Proud is an understatement. I leave with a mothers poem
I Give To You, My Son-
I held him as an infant; I hugged him as a boy
and through the years he has become my greatest pride and joy.
I love him more than I can say,
his life more precious than my own,
but gone are the whims and notions of the little boy that I had known.
For the years have passed so quickly since the time it all began
and now he stands before me with the conviction of a man.
He wants to serve his country, he states aloud with pride
as I try to sort out the emotions that I'm feeling deep inside...
a union of the uncertain fear, which I cannot control
and the allegiance which lies deep within my patriotic soul.
I trust that my years of guidance will serve as a strong foundation
as he performs the duties requested from his beloved nation.
God please guide him as he travels to the places our soldiers have bled
and walk with him through pathways where those heroes' feet have tread.
Oh Sweet Land of Liberty, humbly I give to you, my son
praying you'll return him safely home when his work for you is done.
---Author unknown---