Everytime We Say Goodbye - Chapter One

"Mom, have you seen my birth certificate?" yelled Nate from his bedroom.
"Yes, I've got it on my desk. Do you have your social security card?" I yelled back from the kitchen.
"Yes, I have that. But I can't find my driver's license," he replied back.
If you have ever had the opportunity to venture into his bedroom, you would understand why we were having this conversation. As his step-father always said, "I swear, he would lose his head if it wasn't screwed on."

It seems like just yesterday we were watching Nate at his little league baseball games, playing the position of catcher for his team - and little league is definitely is an all-consuming season. There is no time for anything else. By the end of of the season, you are ready to give it a rest. All of that seems trivial now. I wish I was going to another game tomorrow.

Today we are getting ready for a different type of tomorrow. One that will change his life and ours forever. Nate enlisted in the United States Aire Force, and tomorrow we will be saying our first good-bye. He will be leaving for basic training camp at Lackland Airfoce base in San Antonio, Texas.

Now, I don't know anyone personally active in the military, so this will be a first-hand experience for me too.

There is a lot of preparation and work to be done by tomorrow. There is last minute shopping to do, packing, address lists and phone lists to writeout, schedules to confirm. I need that right now - lots of busy work. It helps keep my mind off other things.

I have come to the conclusion, this really is my "last hurrah" as a mom; preparing my child to leave home. Almost like the first day of kindergarten. Let's see..bag, shoes, notebook, supplies, extra clothes. The only thing missing is the little red and blue "resting mat" to take an afternoon nap on. I have an urge to use a black magic marker and label all the things in his bag with his name. I know I can't really do this - but I want to.

I have checked over the list so many times I could recite it by heart. But I keep re-reading it just in case I missed anything. For some reason, I feel like I will be a complete failure as a mother if he gets there and finds out he is missing something. But I tell myself, if he is missing something, he will be able to purchase it. He is going to work - his first steady job.

His first fulltime job! He starts his new job tomorrow. How exciting this is. Forty plus hours a week and bonuses. And he will be gettin into shape while he is working. I don't know of too many job out there where you can get into great physical condition while you work. I have all I can do to take a walk after I come home from the office. He has never worked 40 hours a week in his entire life.

Well, this new job will definitely help his days and nights get back into order. They have been a little mixed up since high school graduation. Party all night and sleep all day. It's an easy trap to fall into. I know because I happened to go there a few times myself. Awww, Nate even had his days and night mixed up when he was a baby.

Ok, back to packing. How much can one pack in a small bag? Nate said he only wants the essentials. Well, that's fine, but what about...? (Here comes the predictable "what if" mom syndrome.) What if he gets a runny nose? Will he have access to a tissue? Silly me, of course he will. But I still wish I could pack a box of tissues in his bag. This isn't like he is going to summer camp.