We had traveled over 20 hours straight through the
night to arrive for our son’s boot camp graduation, meeting up with his fiancée
at the hotel and bringing her to the ceremonies with us.
Before parents’ arrivals, the newly trained
soldiers were sent out on field maneuvers and were to return for the weekend
ceremonies. Our instructions were to wait on the steps. “You sent
us girls and boys,” the staff sergeant told us at orientation. “We give you
back women and men.”
While waiting, I considered how quickly the
children had grown. Step-ladders, there childhood experiences happened in
triplicate. And now it seemed there was a mass exodus from the home. While my
husband looked forward to an empty nest, I had dreaded the day when my children
would no longer need me.
The first ting-a-ling
that motherhood would be forever changed sounded when my daughter became
engaged. Though she’d be living in another state, I accepted the loss with
grace. Daughters tend to stay daughters even after they are married. They more or
less add the role of wife.
Within a few months following her wedding came two
college graduations. And what had been a soft distant ping now became a clamor
as my oldest left for boot camp, a prelude of maturing before his marriage the following
September.
“I want my
babies back! I want to put them in a playpen so I always know where they are,
and I can cuddle them whenever I want.”
My husband grabbed my hand. “You still got me.
You’ll always have a baby.”
The camouflaged bus rolled around the corner. I peered
at the disembarking soldiers. John’s fiancée stood next to me. I’d been so
unhappy about my empty arms I hadn’t considered her feelings.
“There he is!”
I shouted. My mother’s feet readied to fly, but I remained still as if
some invisible hand held me in place. Then I heard the silent whisper quoting a
familiar verse:
“Therefore
shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife:
and they shall be one flesh (Genesis 2:24 KJV).”
What are
trying to tell me, Lord? Do I no longer
have first rights?
I sensed John’s emotional tug-of-war as his eyes
darted from his fiancée to his mother. I could almost hear him ask the
question, “Who do I go to first?”
I clasped Melissa’s hand with mine. “You go to
him. You should be the most important woman in his life now.” She said a quick thank you and embraced my
son. I knew in that instant, the time had come to take the backseat.
Linda's son as a stay-at-home dad |
I’ve been a mother-in-law for more than twenty years. As I watch my children
struggle with their own families, my protective
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Linda's soldier son today. |

Award-winning author LINDA
WOOD RONDEAU writes blended contemporary fiction that demonstrates, once
surrendered to God, our worst past often becomes our best future. Formerly from
the Adirondack region, the setting for this any many of her novels, Rondeau now
resides in Florida with her husband of nearly four decades. Retired from her
long career in human services, she enjoys being able to play golf year around.
A FATHER’S PRAYER by Linda Rondeau
COMING SOON: FIDDLRS FLING (Elk Lake Publishng)
CONNECT WITH AUTHOR LINDA RONDEAU
Website www.lindarondeau.com
her blog, Salt and Light,
or find her on Facebook, Twitter, PInterest, Google Plus and Goodreads.
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