   As I was driving home from work today, the song below came on and I swear I could feel my father-in-law grinning from ear to ear down on me from Heaven at the unexpected turn of events that's going to put his granddaughter in the sky. Henry "Bud" Schaefer was a hulk of a man, standing at over 6'4 and built like a semi. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, he had a deep love for the Orioles, the military, and his family. He was quick with a smile or a bawdy joke, was the consummate salesman (or bullshit artist, if you prefer) and the day we took his youngest son to Charlotte to be sworn in to the United States Air Force, that man was over the moon! Shortly after my husband returned home on leave the first time, Dad Schaefer gave him the pair of wings he, himself, wore when he was in the Air Force (although he was not a pilot, he did have flying status). It was my husband's plan to become a pilot, but life got in the way, as is often the case. (Top two photos: Henry "Bud" Schaefer at our wedding 15 August 1987 & Bud with our girls in Leesburg, Florida, Summer 2000). (Photo to the left: Bradley Schaefer being sworn in on his reenlistment; Photo below: Bradley Schaefer and our little Freckles going to the Father-Daughter Dance, Spring 2007) Instead of my husband taking to the skies, he and I are about to see that unfulfilled dream come to life with our youngest. Sarah is NOT the child we thought would grow up and follow in her father and grandfather's footsteps. In fact, when she came home and told us she was thinking about it, both of us were shocked! Not that we didn't think she COULD do it, but she, like her own father, had a completely different set of plans that just didn't come to fruition. So, in pure Schaefer fashion, that girl changed directions with the shifting winds and now she is about to embark on serving her country as a Navy Pilot. Yeah, it's going to take some time for that to really sink in to my brain because let me tell ya, her mama is so not ready for it. My baby is headed down the "Highway to the Danger Zone" and all her mother can do is beam with pride and buckle up for the ride! 
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About The Author
I grew up in rural North Carolina. When I was only nineteen, I moved away and became a military wife. My only aspiration at that tender time in my life was to create an adult life that "fixed" all of the "injustices" of my childhood. Secretly, however, I wanted to reach for the sky! I wanted to be a writer and find ways to "save the world" (my mother used to say, "You have Save the World Syndrome".). Mostly, I wanted to matter. Archives
August 2021
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