A dream fulfilled...

Defining moments.  We remember them.  They stick with us. When they are happening, you know it...Life as we know it changes, forever, because WE are changed forever.  Yesterday included the culmination of many of those moments.

To explain fully, we have to go back many years, when Michael was just a tiny little boy.  That baby was born playing cops & robbers, soldier, superhero, anything that involved saving the day, and helping people.By 5 or 6 years old, he just knew he would be in the military.  That was it.  It was a fact. 

 On the other hand, Michael faced a war of another sort, physically.  He was born with anaphylactic food allergies, which means, if he ate certain things, he would potentially die.  In many cases, with just one bite. He was even allergic to his own sweat.  He would break out in hives and be very uncomfortable, so he spent recesses and gym classes in the nurses office.He was in danger everywhere he went. He dealt with these things all day long, everyday, sometimes even waking up with hives in the nighttime, and we would not even know why.  Throughout the years, he was kept from certain activities due to his condition, and it broke his heart.  It broke MY heart, for him.  Yet he remained absolutely determined to have a military career.  He grew out of some of his allergies, but not all.  To this day he has multiple anaphylactic food allergies.  As his mom, I anguished before the Lord, knowing that there would be such a slim chance he would be permitted to enter the military, due to his limitations.  By middle school, he thought he wanted to be a Marine.  By high school, he was positive.

 He had the posters all over his room, and he made all his plans.  Meanwhile, I was pleading with the Lord to take his allergies away, to somehow help him not to be heartbroken at the potential medical fail, due to his allergies.  Never for a moment did I doubt he could BE a Marine. Oh, he was made for this.  No doubt.  But his immune system was compromised, and I became far more concerned with what would happen to him in the chow hall, than the training he would go through.  I was in the constant state of praying for peace, protection, healing, for my son.  As he hit 17, he started to act on his passion,  saw a recruiter, and got the paperwork rolling.  Due to his food allergies, he had to seek a medical waiver.  I will never ever forget the day we got the message on the answering machine that he had received the waiver!  I was stunned!  He was stunned!  He was thrilled!  Dreams were coming true!  Fast forward through high school graduation, and into July 2009.  He Was 18, and was merely waiting for the day to arrive for him to head to Parris Island.  It was July 5.  It was a Sunday.  Mike was packed and ready.  His brother Christopher had just gotten married, and was off on his honeymoon.  They had said goodbye.  His sister was in Africa.  Their goodbye was on the phone.  My heart was in my throat, but stood strong, and trusted God to take care of my boy.  Around 5 in the evening, he headed to Point Pleasant Beach to say goodbye to his best buddy.  As he headed away from his house in his car, he rolled past a hidden stop sign and into an intersection, and collided with a car coming the opposite direction.  This was one defining moment.  It changed his life forever.  His mouth hit the steering wheel, knocking one tooth completely out, and three others into painfully crooked positions.  That evening was a nightmare. Our superhero friend and dentist managed to get the tooth placed back in, the other teeth into normal positions.  His teeth were held together with wire.

His recruiter came to the dental office, and stood with him as he faced all of it. His recruiter tried to help him see he should not leave, that he should stay home and heal.  Michael insisted that he would still let the recruiter pick him up in the morning, no matter what.  We could not talk him out of it.  He was shocky, and yet determined.  He refused pain medication , so he suffered terribly all night long.  As parents, it was the longest night of our lives. We knew he could not pass the physical.  We knew he would be medically rejected.  And yet we also knew he had to do what he HAD to do.  The recruiter picked him up around 5 am, and we had him back by early afternoon, medically rejected, and heartbroken beyond what I thought he could endure.  He spent that summer healing, in more ways than one.  As any good soldier would, he faced the challenges each day, with courage and strength.  He ended up with multiple root canals, caps, and a changed life. He ended up taking courses at Ocean County college in the fall, and working locally. Slowly but surely, God was redirecting his energy and purpose to another warrior career.  Police Officer!  Within a few years, that door started to open, and that boy who had worked so hard to be prepared to protect and serve in the military, began training to protect and serve in our community!  Last summer, Michael obtained the position of parking attendant at Point Pleasant Beach, and in the fall, received the confirmation that he was accepted into the Ocean County Police Academy!  I was proud of him already.  I was proud of him for just being the responsible, dependable, purposeful, reliable person he was, regardless of career.  I was, and still am, proud of him when he gets up and the morning, and goes to bed at night, just because.   My son amazes me, and is gift and a joy in my life.  I am proud of him for just being HIM.  But, the day he got that email about entering the academy, well, that was another defining moment.  I KNEW he would be a wonderful police officer, I KNEW the training would be something he would love--for him, the harder, the better-- it has ALWAYS been that way with Michael. Michael trained at the academy from December,  until last week.

The things I know he had to study, and see, to prepare him for a career as a police officer, were shocking, I know about it, but I can only imagine the horrific visuals.  The days he came home upset, were the days he had to see those terrible things. He avoided me, spoke little to his dad about it, and dealt with it himself.  It was hard to watch, and yet I know this is only a drop in the bucket of the career itself.  No one wants their kid to see such things.  My strength is in the knowing that he is called to this, and that he was made for this, all his life.  He has been prepared.  He has the tools, the strength, the character.
Then, there was yesterday.  His graduation day from the Academy.

 Talk about defining moments!  One moment in time...a dream achieved!  The fulfillment of 21 years of preparation! God has used his love for the military from his childhood, to get to this moment.  As my son, my hero, marched down the aisle yesterday, my heart was bursting with pride, and joy, and relief!  In my opinion, biased though it may be, no other cadet had such grace, and strength, poise, character and endurance, as my son.  I know FULL well, that every other cadet's family feel the same way!  They have there own stories of heartache, struggle, challenge, triumph. I only know ours. I struggle to find the words to describe the way I feel about that moment yesterday, when I saw him in his blue uniform, with a badge on the front, his name plate, the look of determination on his face. My son is a police officer.

They called his name.  My son saluted to his superiors, received his certificates, marched back to his place.  I was stunned, although I knew it was coming.  I was amazed, even though I KNEW he could do it.  I am thankful to God, for opening this door for him, as only He can.  I am blessed beyond measure, to get to see it all unfold.  My son is a warrior.  I think I have been holding my breath for a year solid, waiting for this moment.

Now, my son is asleep in his bed, having worked his very first shift last night as a police officer.  I was up praying for him in the night, as my momma heart had not even dared to tread on the concerns of the job itself until yesterday!  It actually took me by surprise!  I am so thankful for a dear friend and brother who is also a local police officer, who is older and wiser than Mike, and can understand the emotional challenges of this career. Again, such beautiful provision from the Lord, such providence.

I realize my prayers for my son have only just begun.  This is not an easy career, not a safe career, but God is in control, and we will wait on Him for the answers. Michael is a Class 2 officer, with a part time position for the summer.  He is seeking full time employment.  For this, he must prepare by finishing out his Associates degree, and taking the Civil Service test.  More training will be required. If a certain amount of time goes by before obtaining a full time position, he might even have to do the academy again.  For now, though, I will stay in this moment, thankfully, prayerfully, and pray for the rest as we go.  My son is a police officer.  I am the mom of a police officer.  I am also the mom of a Chiropractic student, and the mom of a Seminarian, and the mom of a Media studies grad student.  Mostly, I am the mom of four amazing young adults, who bless me continually with their love, who make me laugh, who comfort me and are my friends.  I am just so thankful!