One in the Sky, Soaring High; One on the Ground, Growing Roots

Family and solidarity have been on my mind all day. As I choose what to pack for my trip to see my little one graduate from OCS, I also think of her gorgeous sister who is doing her own packing to come with us. One daughter has begun a journey that involves supporting this great Nation, and the other is on her own journey, tenderly cultivating new roots, i.e. that tiny human she brought into this world. As a mother, I look upon both their paths with equal pride, joy, and nervousness.

This morning, the talking heads on all the news stations brought grim news...terrorist bombings in Belgium. And for what?  A world that sometimes feels as if it's seeping hate out of nearly every pore has left me worried about what comes next...for all of us. And yet, when I look into those forest deep green eyes of the boy my baby nurtures and showers with love every day, I see roots of Hope. When I look to the members of my Tribe, their own babies and grand-babies happily displayed on social media, I feel that Hope spreading out across the world. I want it to be enough to counter-balance the hate. I want it to be more than enough to overthrow what is negative and give way to something more spectacular than we, as a people, have ever seen before.

I'm glad I'll be able to take my oldest daughter's hand as we watch her sister be commissioned. Something about her gentle beauty, her quiet, easy-going nature calms my spirit. In fact, it's as if her very essence puts off a vibe of Peace and light. I try very hard to leave anyplace I go better than it was when I found it, even if all I can do is pick up random trash on the ground and dispose of it properly. My most precious gifts to the world, however, are those "new" humans I will someday leave behind as I pass on to the next plane of existence. I couldn't have done that without the Big Guy in the Sky, who trusted them to my care. One day, when I face him again, I hope I will be able to confidently tell him, "Your trust in me wasn't wasted." For now, I just bask in the wonder of the people they've become...one soaring high, the other one growing roots!