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When Dads choose Not to Show Up
I’m not going to blame the world of warfare on Dad’s not showing up, but there is a connection I’d like to dive into.
I just drove home with my girls from Fort Benning, where my beautiful son graduated from 25 weeks of hell: Basic Training. They were the hardest weeks of his life, but he got through doing well. He looked great. He is happy. He knows he is in the right place and is ready to move forward with his next training and assignment. And we are super proud.
But, as his mother, there is nothing more mortifying than boys and guns-and for good reason. It is often these boys killing boys that we see in the media. Yes, they are well trained. I trust that, truly. But, still, they are trained to kill and I cannot shake the feeling that we are in this position because there is something missing from these boys’ lives. I am not just talking about US soldiers. I am talking about the world’s soldiers. To add to that, my son is a boy who grew up without an active father. There was always something more important…and time ran out.
Other countries require their citizens a year or two in the military, regardless of the gender of the youth. I understand this. It is necessary to have trained personnel to keep a nation safe. I fully appreciate the sacrifice of soldiers everywhere, know now how their families ache for them and hope for their safety…
