Funny how families gather during the holidays and it reminds us why we are a family to begin with. My Mom and I took a trip (one of many) to visit my brother Drew and his family - wife Kim and daughters Chloe and Lucy, in Chesapeake, Virginia, on Christmas 2009. We usually schedule trips on a holiday, such as Christmas or Easter, his birthday or Kim's, mine and Lucy's - see Kim's, mine and Lucy's birthdays are September 21, 22 and 23. My Mom says, it is like 'Christmas in September' when we plan to visit my brother and his family during that time.
Drew is in the U.S. Navy, twelve years served and hopes to retire after thirty years of service. He is an aviation electrician on the F/A 18F Super Hornet and an NEC 9502 Navy Instructor - is stationed in Oceana, Virginia, and has been stationed there since leaving "A" School. He will remain stationed at Oceana for the remainder of his service career, with his standard deployments and a couple of trips in the U.S. at other bases each year.
Drew was from my Mom's first marriage. He and my Mom had a relationship much like she and I had while growing up. Our Mom was always hands on. She was never one to leave us with a sitter, unless it was our Grandmother. She was involved in every aspect of our lives, as children - from education to our salvation in Christ. She taught us to love, to laugh, she allowed us to cry without feeling ashamed or weak, she encouraged us to stand up for our self and each other, she was the disciplinarian and she demanded respect, as well as gave respect.
She would be the one to teach us how to ride our bike - and later she would be the one to take us to get our driver's license. She taught Drew how to throw a ball, swing a bat, how to swim. She taught me how to play dress-up, dance and how to swim. How she loved my brother is how she loved me - and the other way around, too.
There were times in both Drew's and my life we get into our Mom's bed to sleep. She would tell us stories till we drifted off. She never made us feel embarrassed as we hit adolescents. She would talk to us about changes in our bodies and our lives. She respected us and we learned to respect ourselves.
She is playful. She is shocking. She is honest. She is kind. She is LOVE. She is our Mother.
Drew returned from his six month deployment on the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) July 2011. He is back home with his wife and daughters - and back writing and playing with his Christian Rock Band APOSTOLOS: http://www.myspace.com/apostolos
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| Mom and Drew - 2009 |
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