As before mentioned, I was shocked to be asked to go as the spokesperson for Navy For Mom's website to NYC!!!!!! I knew absolutely nothing about the Navy and had only been a "Navy Mom" a couple of MONTHS. (wow, I sure could be a better "spokesperson" now, 6 years later! LOL). Anyway, before I could say JACK RABBIT , or better yet, ANCHORS AWEIGH, I was on my way to NYC. With my traveling companion. NO, not Terry. He said he wasn't about to go with a bunch of women to NYC. So, the only alternative was a single person and someone that could put up with my "I've lost my glasses"! and "I've lost my tickets!" and "where are we?" ! Katie went! (we tried to figure out how we could swing Nat going but she had a new baby ,aka DAISY, and trying to figure out how we'd do it with a stroller walking the streets of NYC just exhausted us thinking about it, much less doing it). So, she was with us in spirit. She is the one who really knows how to travel so Katie and I just sucked it up and off we went. And, happy to say, we "figured it all out"! (let me say here that I travel a lot. BUT, I have a husband who does EVERYThing. How I regretted not paying attention when we would travel. I always , and still DO, follow him around the airports like a blind puppy on a leash). So, the 2 of us left for our adventure in "PAINTING THE TOWN BLUE"......we made it! and so did PatPat the bear! Sitting like a little king on the seat of the plane! People were fascinated with our little bear and everyone had to hold him and make him talk. Even the hostesses/even the hotel personell, even people on the street........
we found our room and looked out the window and then looked back at each other and said, "NOW WHAT?!" LOL! We went downstairs and I recognized a lot of the ladies from the website! It was exciting to put faces with names and we had fun chatting and meeting each other. More and more ladies were showing up and it was so much fun to meet and greet. Dinner that night was great!!! Some of us stood up and spoke and told a bit about our sailors. And then, we were instructed about the next morning --we were to go to the "Today Show" and see if we could get a little spot on Al Roker's weather segement spot. Rachel, our PR girlie, asked me to be the spokesperson IF we got a coveted spot on the show. I was nervous, but ready. I was placed in front of the fence where, if the cameras panned us, I would be given the microphone to speak. (I'm not going to say I wasn't nervous! LOL). we all had on our "NAVY FOR MOMS" matching tee-shirts. Even Katie worn one-- she rebelled b/c: "I'm not a Navy mom, I feel stupid wearing this!" And she took it off immediately after we got backLOL!! We lined up on the Today Show sidewalk and waited. Then we heard , last minute, that Al was sent to another city at last minute! DARN! No talking about Navy for moms now! (and secretly relieved a bit).However, we did have our banner hung up on the fence that was shown. The cameras spanned the crowds and there we were!!!!!! During the break, Meredith Viera came up to speak to me. "Put up PatPat the bear!" the other ladies screamed. I did and she said, "My dad was a Navy surgeon!" Wow, that was cool to find out! She pushed PatPat's paw and went crazy over his voice! And signed PatPat's shirt! It was such fun!!!!!! She was very gracious and friendly and it was a joy to meet her!
Going to the Today Show was fun but the best part of the trip was meeting all the ladies and getting to put faces to little avatar pix or profile pix on the computer. Soon we were comparing stories and it all ended up with a couple of things. 1. we missed our boys (girls--there are more Navy girls than you think!) 2. we bonded and met lifetime friends!!!
Yes. We made LIFETIME friends, this Navy Moms group. As Patrick is excitedly anticipating his end to his Navy career in 3 weeks, I am right there with him. COUNTING THE DAYS. However, one thing I don't have to worry about is saying goodbye to my Navy Moms.Or ending friendships brought about by his stint in the Navy. It's so strange, but I am closer to some of these friends, after having met a few in person and some ONLY via the internet, than some friends I have had since I was a young girl! In fact, LOTS closer. How about this, even closer to many of my relatives! Because we have a bond like no other. Nobody understands like another Navy Mom does when your 1. son leaves for deployment 2. saying those HORRIBLE goodbyes 3. letting your "baby" go to unknown places. They "GET IT" and it's because we have all experienced it. It's like trying to tell a pregnant girl the first time what it's like to experience childbirth! you can TELL them but they have to experience the pain of it themselves. ....So, again, There is no way I could begin to express what their friendships have meant to me in the past 6 years , in a few words. (And you know me, I am wordy! LOL!!)! I wish I could encapsulate, in a few sentences, the depth of gratitude/the enormity of their presence in my life/the loyalty and love I feel (and is reciprocated(/ the encouragement/the acceptance/the non judging/ and mostly the joy they bring and so much more. even after NYC, I met more, more recently, the past couple of years, via FaceBook (Navy4Moms.com is still kickin' but I now go to FaceBook to "visit" and chat with my Navy Moms).... Some I became closer to than others ,(you know who you are), but I can say I bonded with them all in one way or another. For many of us, having our kids in the Navy, it was truly "cutting apron strings" but not just like a kid going off to college (and that's hard, but NOTHING to compare!), it was cutting strings to let them go , some, to foreign countries (Patrick) and some to war . Some, and this grips me even as I type, LOST THEIR SONS. those are the moms with whom I admire most/whose "club" I did NOT want to join (nor did they!) that horrible group of BLUE STAR MOMS, those whose sons gave the ultimate sacrifice. The ultimate FEAR of every other mom I have ever met. Spoken or unspoken. The "Dead elephant" in the room.That fear that looms over you day and night but is hardly ever said aloud. Even to one's self.... Sadly, There were several I met that lost their sons in the past 6 years. After the news I would ask myself, "How do I respond to them?"? Or better yet, should I even say anything at all when I had my own son still alive and well? Would they act differently?
For one dear soul, I will only call her by her first name. LAURA. Laura's son, "Doc"/Michael was killed in action, a hero, tending to his fallen comrades which was his job--- a medic. I had gotten an email from Laura asking me to pray for him before he left. And I did. but, who would've ever thought.........that her precious son/her youngest son would give his life that day?...words fail me but let me say it touched me in a such a deep way that it brought me to my knees that morning when I read about Michael. WHY?!?!?!!? WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN??? And my soul was torn. How would I respond to Laura? What could I POSSIBLY say/write/express that could make a difference to the gaping hole in her heart?!?!?? NOTHING. But I did pray and of course, I responded. I don't even remember what I said, doesn't matter, b/c she doesn't either, I'm sure. But a bond grew ever deeper. Was she jealous I had my son and she didn't? No. She wasn't.And this is how she has gone through this pain and continued on: READ CAREFULLY mother's of sons who are alive and healthy! Number one, she supported , even more, the Navy/Marines and the cause for which her son died. And Number two, she loved on her friends sons even more. Wow, I'm crying as I type. That's LOVE, people. People who can take the WORST THING YOU CAN GO THRO: LOSE (a child) and , turn the pain into an action verb. She encourages/loves. She supports our boys each day by wearing RED on Friday for the military. SHE KEEPS MIKEY ALIVE BY DOING WHAT HE WOULD WANT HER TO DO! And that is, to never give up. To keep praying for the OTHER boys and girls serving. To SUPPORT our military. WHAT A LEGACY! What LOVE! and...did I mention? I love her! :)
Then, I had another close friendship. It is with a precious, adorable blonde Navy mom in New Jersey! With her only 2 sons, BOTH in the Navy! You know how sometimes you just CLICK with someone and you KNOW that you know that you KNOW you will be BFF?? well, that's my Marianne. Believe it or not, we met in NYC but only for the shortest time. I remember whenKatie and I went to our room to change clothes we both said, "we LOVe Marianne! she is so friendly and CUTE! " ! And after returning home, we just became very close via the website and then on FB . SO close, that, joy of joys, she came to B'ham in October to see us and stay for the week-end!! It was the BEST!!!!!!!!!So, for the friendships that came from Patrick's being in the Navy? I am so very grateful. And thankful . And joyful. And look forward to having those friendships my whole life!!!!!
So, Patrick will be out of the Navy in less than 3 weeks. will I hang up the US flag? will I take down everything in my house that screams "NAVY" or signs sitting around my house that show the love for our country? will I delete all my Navy moms now? Will I get out of the closed Navy Mom groups on FaceBook? well, you were screaming "NO" in your head at every question and you are right! OF COURSE NOT!!!!
when Patrick left, I felt as if my world had fallen apart. I let my baby boy walk into the recruiter's office that chilly April morning 6 SHORT years ago and the sobs that overtook me almost rocked my entire world for the next few months. YES, there were times when I still freaked over things. YES, deployments were hard . YES, our big Fry Family table always had an empty chair that sent me into a fit of tears. YES, I thought I would never make the 6 years that his time was served without crying the whole time. But guess what?
Yeah. You guessed it. I'm sad. WHAAAAAAAAAAT? LOL! whO WOULD"VE EVER THOUGHT I'D WRITE THOSE WORDS?!!!!!!! Not sad he's not coming back, I cannot WAIT. But, there IS that part of me that will be sad not to see him in his Navy uniform and have others come up and shake his hand and say, "thank you for serving". Or have that lump in my throat seeing him in his Navy whites at Katie's wedding. It was so special and I was so proud. But, now I'll have another lump in my throat. This time it will be on VETERAN'S DAY when I will be remembering.......and thanking GOD that , indeed, this was part of the plan of Patrick's life. And be thankful.
we found our room and looked out the window and then looked back at each other and said, "NOW WHAT?!" LOL! We went downstairs and I recognized a lot of the ladies from the website! It was exciting to put faces with names and we had fun chatting and meeting each other. More and more ladies were showing up and it was so much fun to meet and greet. Dinner that night was great!!! Some of us stood up and spoke and told a bit about our sailors. And then, we were instructed about the next morning --we were to go to the "Today Show" and see if we could get a little spot on Al Roker's weather segement spot. Rachel, our PR girlie, asked me to be the spokesperson IF we got a coveted spot on the show. I was nervous, but ready. I was placed in front of the fence where, if the cameras panned us, I would be given the microphone to speak. (I'm not going to say I wasn't nervous! LOL). we all had on our "NAVY FOR MOMS" matching tee-shirts. Even Katie worn one-- she rebelled b/c: "I'm not a Navy mom, I feel stupid wearing this!" And she took it off immediately after we got backLOL!! We lined up on the Today Show sidewalk and waited. Then we heard , last minute, that Al was sent to another city at last minute! DARN! No talking about Navy for moms now! (and secretly relieved a bit).However, we did have our banner hung up on the fence that was shown. The cameras spanned the crowds and there we were!!!!!! During the break, Meredith Viera came up to speak to me. "Put up PatPat the bear!" the other ladies screamed. I did and she said, "My dad was a Navy surgeon!" Wow, that was cool to find out! She pushed PatPat's paw and went crazy over his voice! And signed PatPat's shirt! It was such fun!!!!!! She was very gracious and friendly and it was a joy to meet her!
Going to the Today Show was fun but the best part of the trip was meeting all the ladies and getting to put faces to little avatar pix or profile pix on the computer. Soon we were comparing stories and it all ended up with a couple of things. 1. we missed our boys (girls--there are more Navy girls than you think!) 2. we bonded and met lifetime friends!!!
Yes. We made LIFETIME friends, this Navy Moms group. As Patrick is excitedly anticipating his end to his Navy career in 3 weeks, I am right there with him. COUNTING THE DAYS. However, one thing I don't have to worry about is saying goodbye to my Navy Moms.Or ending friendships brought about by his stint in the Navy. It's so strange, but I am closer to some of these friends, after having met a few in person and some ONLY via the internet, than some friends I have had since I was a young girl! In fact, LOTS closer. How about this, even closer to many of my relatives! Because we have a bond like no other. Nobody understands like another Navy Mom does when your 1. son leaves for deployment 2. saying those HORRIBLE goodbyes 3. letting your "baby" go to unknown places. They "GET IT" and it's because we have all experienced it. It's like trying to tell a pregnant girl the first time what it's like to experience childbirth! you can TELL them but they have to experience the pain of it themselves. ....So, again, There is no way I could begin to express what their friendships have meant to me in the past 6 years , in a few words. (And you know me, I am wordy! LOL!!)! I wish I could encapsulate, in a few sentences, the depth of gratitude/the enormity of their presence in my life/the loyalty and love I feel (and is reciprocated(/ the encouragement/the acceptance/the non judging/ and mostly the joy they bring and so much more. even after NYC, I met more, more recently, the past couple of years, via FaceBook (Navy4Moms.com is still kickin' but I now go to FaceBook to "visit" and chat with my Navy Moms).... Some I became closer to than others ,(you know who you are), but I can say I bonded with them all in one way or another. For many of us, having our kids in the Navy, it was truly "cutting apron strings" but not just like a kid going off to college (and that's hard, but NOTHING to compare!), it was cutting strings to let them go , some, to foreign countries (Patrick) and some to war . Some, and this grips me even as I type, LOST THEIR SONS. those are the moms with whom I admire most/whose "club" I did NOT want to join (nor did they!) that horrible group of BLUE STAR MOMS, those whose sons gave the ultimate sacrifice. The ultimate FEAR of every other mom I have ever met. Spoken or unspoken. The "Dead elephant" in the room.That fear that looms over you day and night but is hardly ever said aloud. Even to one's self.... Sadly, There were several I met that lost their sons in the past 6 years. After the news I would ask myself, "How do I respond to them?"? Or better yet, should I even say anything at all when I had my own son still alive and well? Would they act differently?
For one dear soul, I will only call her by her first name. LAURA. Laura's son, "Doc"/Michael was killed in action, a hero, tending to his fallen comrades which was his job--- a medic. I had gotten an email from Laura asking me to pray for him before he left. And I did. but, who would've ever thought.........that her precious son/her youngest son would give his life that day?...words fail me but let me say it touched me in a such a deep way that it brought me to my knees that morning when I read about Michael. WHY?!?!?!!? WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN??? And my soul was torn. How would I respond to Laura? What could I POSSIBLY say/write/express that could make a difference to the gaping hole in her heart?!?!?? NOTHING. But I did pray and of course, I responded. I don't even remember what I said, doesn't matter, b/c she doesn't either, I'm sure. But a bond grew ever deeper. Was she jealous I had my son and she didn't? No. She wasn't.And this is how she has gone through this pain and continued on: READ CAREFULLY mother's of sons who are alive and healthy! Number one, she supported , even more, the Navy/Marines and the cause for which her son died. And Number two, she loved on her friends sons even more. Wow, I'm crying as I type. That's LOVE, people. People who can take the WORST THING YOU CAN GO THRO: LOSE (a child) and , turn the pain into an action verb. She encourages/loves. She supports our boys each day by wearing RED on Friday for the military. SHE KEEPS MIKEY ALIVE BY DOING WHAT HE WOULD WANT HER TO DO! And that is, to never give up. To keep praying for the OTHER boys and girls serving. To SUPPORT our military. WHAT A LEGACY! What LOVE! and...did I mention? I love her! :)
Then, I had another close friendship. It is with a precious, adorable blonde Navy mom in New Jersey! With her only 2 sons, BOTH in the Navy! You know how sometimes you just CLICK with someone and you KNOW that you know that you KNOW you will be BFF?? well, that's my Marianne. Believe it or not, we met in NYC but only for the shortest time. I remember whenKatie and I went to our room to change clothes we both said, "we LOVe Marianne! she is so friendly and CUTE! " ! And after returning home, we just became very close via the website and then on FB . SO close, that, joy of joys, she came to B'ham in October to see us and stay for the week-end!! It was the BEST!!!!!!!!!So, for the friendships that came from Patrick's being in the Navy? I am so very grateful. And thankful . And joyful. And look forward to having those friendships my whole life!!!!!
So, Patrick will be out of the Navy in less than 3 weeks. will I hang up the US flag? will I take down everything in my house that screams "NAVY" or signs sitting around my house that show the love for our country? will I delete all my Navy moms now? Will I get out of the closed Navy Mom groups on FaceBook? well, you were screaming "NO" in your head at every question and you are right! OF COURSE NOT!!!!
when Patrick left, I felt as if my world had fallen apart. I let my baby boy walk into the recruiter's office that chilly April morning 6 SHORT years ago and the sobs that overtook me almost rocked my entire world for the next few months. YES, there were times when I still freaked over things. YES, deployments were hard . YES, our big Fry Family table always had an empty chair that sent me into a fit of tears. YES, I thought I would never make the 6 years that his time was served without crying the whole time. But guess what?
Yeah. You guessed it. I'm sad. WHAAAAAAAAAAT? LOL! whO WOULD"VE EVER THOUGHT I'D WRITE THOSE WORDS?!!!!!!! Not sad he's not coming back, I cannot WAIT. But, there IS that part of me that will be sad not to see him in his Navy uniform and have others come up and shake his hand and say, "thank you for serving". Or have that lump in my throat seeing him in his Navy whites at Katie's wedding. It was so special and I was so proud. But, now I'll have another lump in my throat. This time it will be on VETERAN'S DAY when I will be remembering.......and thanking GOD that , indeed, this was part of the plan of Patrick's life. And be thankful.
Marianne, me and EK on her visit to the 'Ham!