He. Could. Go. All. The. Way.
Graduation season is upon us.
Like many parents, we are in disbelief that our first born child recently walked across a stage and instantly became a high school graduate.
Did that just happen? Yes…unapologetically.
And just like that..it happens. We cheered our faces off.
It is one of those things that seemed like it was always really far away. Our daily lives were packed. We tended to the next emerging forest fire, living event-to-event, playing a live action game of whack-a-mole. High school graduations and follow-on plans, like college, seemed like a mirage.
Q: Would we ever get there?
A: Oh. Dear. Yes. It’s wild. It’s exhilarating. It’s sad. It’s something to be proud of.
Early Starts
Is there anything better than those Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st Grade pictures? You know the ones you took on the first day of school? We have them too. The ones with freshly combed hair (the one time all year), nearly empty backpacks, and a little giddyup in their step.
When the kids are young we, as parents, have the luxury of time and experience. It is so awesome to look at your children and appreciate that they could do anything - and sincerely believe it. “He is probably going to Harvard. He might be the starting quarterback or shortstop for the University of Notre Dame. We will just have to see.” Parenting at that age should be fun, it should be filled with opportunity and optimism.
Dream big! It is impossible to know where these little rascals will end up.
Parenting + Military Life = Tough Times
One of the most difficult aspects of military family life is the constant change. Everything happens in 2-3 years windows. We even talk about our career in terms of orders. “Oh that happened during our Department Head tour with the Black Knights.”
The stress of wondering how your kids will adjust is real. It kept us up a lot of nights. You never want anything bad to happen, you never want your kids to struggle, especially if you can help it. It’s the nature of parenting.
So there we were…
I specifically remember moving from Naval Air Station Lemoore, CA to Eglin Air Force Base, FL. We were really excited to accept orders to VFA-101 and transition to F-35C Lightning II (aka Joint Strike Fighter).
Our kids were comfortable and thriving in their schools on base in Lemoore. We moved during Christmas break so our kids could start fresh with a new semester. They didn’t get a choice. They packed their stuff and got ready for a long road trip.
The second semester started and it felt like we were in dire straits. There goes Harvard. Maybe that is a bit harsh, considering we are talking about a 4th grade curriculum, but we were all sweating it out.
Our kids were behind.
They had to transition from California state history to Florida in the middle of the year. California used a common core education model, Florida did not.
We were all feeling the stress of getting it together.
After school and after dinner we were making flash cards, proofreading, and learning a new way to do math (thank you common core). Thankfully, we survived.
Our kids didn’t do anything wrong. They went where the Navy told their family to go. They didn’t have a choice.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Military families do this over and over. It is hard stuff.
Now that we have successfully gotten our oldest to this first major milestone it is natural to reflect. Being a Navy “BRAT” (Born Ready Always Transfer) didn’t kill him, even though there were times we thought it might. We thought maybe this isn’t good enough, is this a disservice?
The pandemic challenged our assumptions of what educating our kids looked like. Are they learning anything? The answer is a loud yes - on many different levels.
We are a go for launch
Now I see a young man that is ready. He learned how to adapt to new circumstances at an early age. He learned how to be a good listener. He learned how to be a good student.
The military lifestyle formed him.
As our son walked across the stage, we were so grateful that he grew up a “Navy kid”.
Good Job Griff - What a great example for your brother and sister
There is a lot to be proud of. He is heading to Syracuse University in Fall of 2023. And yes we are going to cry a lot when he does - don’t judge.
Watch out world! Our son, and a whole bunch of military BRATs are coming to a campus near you, and they are awesome.
You are going to crush it… GO ORANGE!