Monday, August 27, 2012

8,001 Steps

The first step I take each day is for my son...

You know how things go...you grow up, get a job maybe, add a husband to the mix and then, eventually, a kid or two. Maybe not always in that order, but you get the gist of what I mean.

Then one day, one of those small children that you gave birth to, that you adored from the minute you set eyes on him or her, that you have coddled and yes, spoiled...well, they come to you and tell you they are going to talk to a recruiter and would you like to come with.

That first talk to the recruiter turns into his signature, followed by your own, as he is not yet old enough in the eyes of the legal system to commit to something so huge on his own...yes, you don't have to sign, but then, that would be an admission of failure, which is not something I did...I did not fail raising my son...my husband and I succeeded...we rasied a smart young man, and if he was ready to commit at the age of 17 to serve his country, then who were we to stand in his path.

First, let's back up a bit...I won't bore you with the nitty gritty details, but I want to fill in a bit of background for the few years before that day that he came to us asking for our support at the recruiter's office. I hope this will explain a bit of why I want to do this...8,001 Steps...

He was just a boy the day his dad was injured in a logging accident. That accident was followed by a long year of recovery for my husband, where the two of them formed a very strong bond on top of the one they already had. A few years after this, I ended up having some serious health issues, which included several surgeries and hospital stays...if you ever meet my son, ask him if I was a good patient and he will have a grand old time telling you I am the very worse patient you will ever encounter, period! I think that his relationship with us was molded greatly by the trials we endured through these years...we had his back, and he had ours.

He was always ready and willing to help get my husband out to his hunting stand, on days when my husband might not have been physically able to make it, even when, as a then teenager, he surely had better things to do, like hang with his friends. He would forgoe sleep to fill bait buckets and bait the bear my husband so loved to run with his hounds. He also was often right next to my husband when tracking those very dogs on a 'hot' bear. The first tattoo my son had inked into his skin, was a bear in honor of the 500 lb plus one that charged him and my husband...it was an emotional day for them both, even if as 'guys', they were not willing to admit it at first...when you ask them about that day, they both agree that his dad's first words to another fellow hunter, was 'get my kid outa here'..his dad was not in the best of health yet, with a leg that did not always work the way it should, but he had his kid's back and wanted to first protect him. That boy would grow into the man who would always, in return, have his dad's back!

As the mom, looking at the bond the two of them had, one might think I would feel left out...I never did. He was our third child, but at the same time, our 'only' child, with our other two both older, and already living as adults. I could always count on him for a trip to the movies or to play hooky and drive into the city with me to go to a museum... I have an aversion to going to lunch by myself, but due to my schedule, getting someone to go with me last minute is not always easy...that was ok when he lived nearby. On his busiest day of school, no matter how many friends he was with, if I called and asked him to meet me at Peking for Chinese, he was there in a heartbeat. He never once told me no, though he might bring a friend or two with, lol!

So, jumping back to now...two years plus after signing on that dotted line, my son has been through basic training at Ft. Benning, followed by AIT and ASI, also at Ft. Benning. From there, he was assigned to his first duty station, Ft. Stewart.

Shortly after getting settled in, he called us to come for a visit. Come now, he said. Don't wait. I want you to know where I am living, what I am doing. So we rented a car and went...I was exhausted! I had put on weight...quite a bit...since my surgeries the years before.

Add to the tiredness I felt, the talk about his possibly deploying, made me realize that I could not keep on this path. I needed to get healthy. I needed to be at my best to 'have his back' in the coming months and years. So, I made a vow the second day of our visit with him, as I sat down for the evening, that I needed to get healthy once again. Not just for him, but for myself, for my husband, for my other kids and the loves of my life, my grandchildren!

I work best when I have a plan...8,001 Steps...it is close to 8000 miles from my home to Afghanistan, or so Googel, says, lol. From this, my plan was devised...until he deploys, I will work on building my stamina and strength, and if he deploys, I will walk a minimum of 8,001 steps every day he is over there. The first step each day, now and then, is for him, and each step after that is for me, to get healthy, to get strong, so i can always have his back, if he every needs me.

I am almost six weeks in, and my daily step count is 6500. I have also decided to add a few extra workouts to the mix, and walk the steps at Pine Mountain a couple times a week.  ...I would say to wish me luck, but I don't need luck, just perseverance...i.e., steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement...well, I have the purpose, several times over...one of their names is Cody!

2 comments:

  1. I love the story and purpose behind 8,001 steps. Looks like you're on the right track; best wishes! :)

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