I stumbled into being a military mom without much preparation. My dad wasn\u2019t a military man, and neither was my husband. So when our son enlisted, I found myself with a big learning curve. Here are 8 lessons I learned as a result:<\/p>\n
1. Adulthood comes on quickly. <\/strong> 2. Parents have fears, too. <\/strong> 3. A wardrobe speaks volumes. <\/strong> 4. The phone is a lifeline. <\/strong> 5. You\u2019ll get to know the post office. <\/strong> 6. And learn to tell military time. <\/strong> 7. Become an expert in military jargon. <\/strong> 8. Turn to God for peace.<\/strong> Being the mom of a son who served was a privilege and a joy. But I thought it would be nice if I could pass on some of the things I wish I\u2019d known when the journey started.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I stumbled into being a military mom without much preparation. My dad wasn\u2019t a military man, and neither was my husband. So when our son enlisted, I found myself with a big learning curve. Here are 8 lessons I learned as a result: 1. Adulthood comes on quickly. The gradual transition from my little boy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":28334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[257],"tags":[25,161],"ppma_author":[504],"class_list":["post-19323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-military-families","tag-family","tag-military"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nThe gradual transition from my little boy becoming a man ended the day he enlisted. He left for boot camp as a gangly teenager and returned weeks later a strong man. <\/p>\n
\nI was lucky our kids didn\u2019t suffer much from bad dreams. When they hit the teen years, I assumed I\u2019d avoided that particular parenting challenge altogether. Instead, I began to wake up from nightmares of my son being wounded, or worse, on the battlefield. Prayer helps here. <\/p>\n
\nRed, white and blue were the basis of my wardrobe. I was so proud of our son that I wanted to shout from the rooftops. Instead, I adopted a patriotic wardrobe. Even to this day I have a hard time passing up a flag-embellished t-shirt or scarf.<\/p>\n
\nIn generations past, the mailman was a military mom\u2019s best friend. These days, we have our ever-present cell phones ready to receive a text, picture or even a call when our kids are deployed far from home.<\/p>\n
\nI got to know\u2014and be known\u2014by our local post office employees. Especially during deployments, I was there every week sending a care package from home. <\/p>\n
\nI learned to think in military time. I no longer have any trouble knowing instantly that o-eight-hundred is 8 a.m.; fourteen hundred is 2 p.m.<\/p>\n
\nAs a military mom, I had to learn a whole new language\u2014military jargon. The military has an acronym for everything. Beyond that, they have odd phrases that still populate my own way of speaking. From \u201cHe\u2019s got your six,\u201d which means someone is watching your back, to \u201cno man left behind,\u201d which means that no one is ever abandoned on the battlefield\u2014or anywhere else.<\/p>\n
\nI thought I spent a lot of time praying for our kids as they were growing up. But when one of them joined the military, I didn\u2019t realize I\u2019d wear out the floor in my favorite prayer spot. Even now when I drop to my knees to pray, I\u2019m overcome by the times God met me right there with His covering of peace as He answered my prayers.<\/p>\n