Off He Goes

The tall young man on the left is our nephew. When my husband and I got married, he was only 9 and could barely reach to light the candles in the wedding. Now he towers over me at a staggering 6'3." In a few weeks, he'll get on a bus for San Antonio to start basic training in the United States Air Force.

Not only is this young man our nephew, but he is our daughter's godfather. This makes it especially difficult to think of saying goodbye. It could be months before we see him again, and over the next several years, our visits could be few and far between. I can remember when we asked him to be her godfather. He was so touched. At only 17 years of age, this is a tall order. But he has proven that his love for her and care for her future is real. The night she was born, he was playing in a big football game and he was so upset that he couldn't be there. Instead of going out with friends after the game, he came up to the hospital and held her. I can remember he hugged me and said, "Good job."

Everyone is struggling with saying goodbye to him, but we know that the decision that he's made for himself and his future is a sound one, and we couldn't be more proud. We will all miss him, especially my children, who love and adore him to pieces. But I can only applaud him. The idea of basic training alone makes me want to crawl back under the covers.

It's hard to believe this is the snot-nosed little kid who used to make funny noises and smatter cake on his face to get a laugh. Ok, so he still does these things. But there's no denying how wonderfully he's grown up. His parents, who had him at a very young age, are also to be applauded. I've seen the sacrifices they've made for him and for his sister, and it makes me want to be a better parent. He's a pretty amazing young man. And two little words come to mind for them, and for him: "Good job."