A Mother’s Day Experience

A Mother’s Day Experience
by Patty Spangler

On May 6th I left for Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, with my 2 1/2 y.o. grand-daughter, to watch my son graduate from Military Basic Training (on May 8th)

On May 7th the troops had their "Family Day", and we were given a brief talk, and introduction, to/from the Drill Sergeants.

At the end of our "briefing" (what the soldiers can and can't do while off the base and where and when they had to return to the barracks) we heard what sounded like "shouting" coming from outside.

Well, needless to say, all the parents and family members scrambled to get out the auditorium doors to see what was up, and what we saw, actually what we heard, was our "troops" marching from their barracks a 1/2 mile away! They were so loud, and strong, and as we looked towards where the noise was coming from, up and over a small rise, in the road, came our young men sounding out a cadence as they marched their way to where we were waiting (very anxiously).
I couldn't believe it! They were so loud, strong, in their voices! We could hear them almost a half mile away, and inside the building.

So, their Sergeant marched them right up to the front of the auditorium, and gave them their briefing before dismissing them to spend the rest of the day with their families.

Now, my son new I was going to be there, but what he had no idea was that his niece (my grand-daughter) was going to be there.


After about 15 minutes of "mixing" through the waves of people my son suddenly seemed to "appear" right before my eyes. And what I saw was amazing. Here is my middle child, the one that always seemed to be the "slob" and lazy one of our family, now standing in front of me neat, proud, looking fit and trim, and with a curious "glow" surrounding him (that I would later come to find out why).

And for the first time in since he had hit the teenage years, I was given ( I didn't have to ask) a big, huge, long hug! He was no longer the shy, and quiet person he used to be. He looked so happy. Then he looked down and saw his niece...and the smile he already had on his face got even bigger and he had what looked like tears, in his eyes, from the joy he had in seeing his niece.

Now that is a great Mother's Day gift right there...getting to see my son.

Watching the 2 of them hug, and hug, and hug, was so heart warming, that I "snuck" a picture of the 2....it was definitely one of those "Kodak" moments you hear about.


So, for the rest of the day, my son wrapped my arm around his and showed me some of the places on the base, that he could, and then we went off base to have a nice day together, and listen to him talk about his training, and his upcoming assignment and future deployment date.
During dinner I got a surprise...my sound announced that during his time in Basic Training he decided to investigate the LDS Church.

I'm thinking "wow, that's great, this is so wonderful that he's choosing to do this on his own, I don't know how things could get any better...spending time with my son, and hearing that he's investigating the church."

Well, it got better...he went on to say that he got baptized into the church during Basic Training! My head was spinning after hearing this. I felt so happy, excited, etc...I thought my heart was going to burst through my chest...and that's when I realized...that is what that curious "glow" about him was!

As the time with my son came to an end, and we took him back to the base to check in at the barracks, I thought to myself, "I think this is going to be the best Mother's Day weekend I have had."

On the morning of the 8th, we woke up to find that the area we're in is now under a Tornado Watch, but, I could feel that Heavenly Father was with us, and that things would be fine. And they were. The storm seemed to just "bypass" us with tornadoes touching down in cities/towns before and after the area we were in.

We went to the Base at 10:00 and watched the platoons come marching inside singing their cadence (again to all our delight) and proceeded to watch as each of the 180 men went from being volunteers to actual soldiers.

I was so happy to be a parent at that moment. I was watching a son, who once seemed to have no direction or purpose while growing up, now achieve purpose and direction in his life. Not only from the military, but also from Heavenly Father.

I can only imagine that Heavenly Father feels the same way when we strive to "stay on the path" of righteousness, and do those things he asks of us. He must feel so happy when he sees his "children" achieving goals.