Something my Son Said
Last night we were sitting outside on the front porch as we tend to do because we enjoy watching the traffic go by Also, our house faces east and we nightly watch the moon rise and dance around among the clouds and the palm fronds. There is a street light right across the street and we watch it too because it has its own mind and turns on when it damn well wants to and goes off when it wants to, too.
My boyfriend, my older son and I were sitting outside with our wine glasses after dinner, drinking what I like to call Zinfandel Blanc even though I believe the wine was bottled last week in California.
My son was telling us stories of his deployments. He doesn't always want to talk about his deployments, sometimes I've asked him a question and he just brushes me off. He wasn't in the mood to talk about those things. But last night he was talkative. His stories are always different and you can never tell if he's going to make you laugh or he's going to make you think "Oh God, I'm glad I didn't know what was happening over there."
He was telling us a story about when he was made platoon leader during his second deployment. He was picking who was going to do what in his platoon. And he said, "I immediately chose Smith because he was a senior Marine (meaning he had been in the Corps longer than the others) and he was still Lance Corporal. That could only mean that he wasn't an ass-kisser. So I chose him to be my right-hand man."
He's my son so I'm of course biased-and-beyond and adore and idolize him way more than is sensible. But in spite of being aware of my shortcomings as an objective observer, I felt so full of pride as I heard him say this. In two months he will be 23. At twenty-three he is smarter than most people I know. He is smarter than PhDs and people much older than he is by decades. He is way smarter than me and constellations smarter than I was at that age.
So we kept talking and laughing and sipping our wine outside while he told stories and my heart was just exploding in love and pride and awe at him.
posted by Carmenzta @ 2:06 PM
9 Comments:
You're absolutely right-that is a wise young man. But you already know what I think of him.
He'll be fine-he's fine already.
Kat
he really is a smart kid. and in the military, smart is a very limited resource! GOOD FOR YOU, MOM!
oo-also, for more info on that site, get ahold of me at
redace196o AT gmail DOT com
the 'zero' is actually a lowercase 'o', and of course the whole thing is meant to be lowercase and all run together with no spaces, and actual dots and at symbols. you know.
FN, I tried to email you but the message came back as undeliverable.
Kat, yes I know you have a soft spot for him in your wonderful heart!
you lucky thing you, what a smart fella and thank the lord he came back.
The apple didn't fall far from the tree eh?
Carmagirl:
I'm so curious to hear more about the story he was telling, but it doesn't matter.
Having read your blog posts for a lot of the time he was over in Iraq and your love and concern for him then, it's unbelievably heart-warming to see you talk about him now as being on your front porch with you.
You're exploding with pride in what you have begotten, which is obviously an incredibly strong young man who's been through many difficult challenges.
It's captivating to hear/see you talk about him like this. I can feel your pride for him and your love of him.
It's an absolutely beautiful thing, so clear and pristine and magical.
Big hugs.
Wow, I can feel your love for your boy.
I loved that feeling when I looked at my kids and realised, mmmmmmmmm they're smarter than me aren't they!
you must be a great mom!
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