09/02/2026
I’ve been posting a lot about my son lately.
About his graduation, becoming an Airman, tech school, and this entirely new chapter of his life.
And the truth is, I’m still trying to wrap my head around all of it.
My heart keeps telling me, “That’s still your little boy.”
But reality reminds me that he is a grown 22-year-old man who made the decision to serve his country — knowing that with that decision comes responsibility, sacrifice, and possibilities that, as his mother, are sometimes very difficult for me to think about.
I don’t take any of it lightly.
Over the past few weeks, so many of you have reached out to me and shared your own stories. Mothers and fathers who watched their sons and daughters leave for basic training. Parents who know what it feels like to go through deployments and count the days until their child comes home. Families who have spent birthdays, holidays and important moments apart.
And I want to make something clear — this isn’t only about the Air Force.
Since my son began this journey, I’ve connected with so many of you from across our military community. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force — different uniforms, different branches, different journeys, but so many of the same emotions.
We may use different words — Airman, Soldier, Sailor, Marine, Guardian, Coast Guardsman — but behind every one of them is a family who loves them, worries about them, misses them and is incredibly proud of them.
Some of you are watching your children begin their journey just like I am.
Some of you have been living this life for years.
Some of you are counting the days through another deployment, waiting for the next phone call, or simply waiting for the day you can put your arms around your child again.
And some of you have shared something even heavier with me — that you have lost your child while they were serving.
Some never made it back home.
Some families had to face the knock on the door that every military parent prays will never come.
Those messages stay with me.
I read your stories. I read their names. And I think about the sons and daughters behind those names and the families who continue to carry their memory every single day.
There really aren’t words that feel adequate.
Before my son joined the Air Force, I respected our military and the families behind those who serve. But I don’t think I truly understood the weight those families carry.
I’m beginning to understand now.
When I look at my son, I still see the little boy I raised. I see the child whose hand I held, the boy I worried about, protected, encouraged and loved through every stage of his life.
But now I also have to see the man standing in front of me.
A United States Airman.
A man who chose this path for himself. A man who accepted the responsibilities that come with wearing that uniform. And a man whom I have to trust to walk the path he chose, even when every instinct in me as his mother wants to keep him close and safe.
I am incredibly proud of him.
But pride doesn’t erase a mother’s fear.
And fear doesn’t take away from my pride.
I’m learning that both can live in the same heart.
And maybe that is something military parents understand better than most.
Because no matter how old they are, no matter what rank they hold, no matter which branch they serve in, and no matter how strong and capable they become — to us, they will always be our children.
So to every military parent and family member who has reached out to me, shared your story, encouraged me, or simply said, “I understand” — thank you. ❤️
To those waiting for someone they love to return from deployment, I pray they come safely home to your arms.
And to those whose loved ones never made it home, there are simply no words big enough. I pray God gives you strength and comfort. And please know that when you share their stories and their names with me, I will remember them.
This is a chapter of life I never fully understood until my own son chose to serve.
I’m still learning.
I’m still adjusting.
I’m still figuring out how to let go of the little boy my heart sees while being unbelievably proud of the man — and the Airman — he has become.
One day at a time. ❤️🇺🇸
