Never Would I Have Ever

New parents are filled with so many preconceived notions before their tiny human comes into the world. You tell yourself, your spouse, or friends, "Never would I ever..." which is followed by every rule that you thought you could uphold about things like potty training, discipline, video games, dating, homework, chores, etc. And then it happens, this real individual comes into your life and changes everything.

You've based your whole parenting future on your childhood experience and the view of the world. Either you want to be just like the people who raised you, or your saying "Never will I ever do the same things to my kid that my parents did to me." Either way, you're wrong. Why? Because you're not your parents, and this new being is not you. They won't think the same way, or feel the same way as you did when you were a child. All of your responsibilities, needs, wants and desires will be completly upended the moment the doctor places your baby in your arms.

Never would I ever have imagined that my son would be in the military, or even ROTC. I didn't know that there was any redeeming value in ROTC until I went to open house. I learned that my son would learn about Aerospace, and STEM topics that stretch well beyond the mundane classroom. Since joining ROTC, Isaiah has learned leadership, teamwork, and aviation history. He has been pushed physically in ways he never would have otherwise, and he has been encouraged to learn how to fly planes and drones. He has forged friendships with people of diverse backgrounds, those who he likey would have never become friends within his sheltered nerd environment.

Never would I ever would have dreamed that the Air Force would hold a future for my one and only child. Yet now I pray that he will make that choice because I know how powerful it would be for him to enter as an officer.

Pilot

Astrophysicist

Engineer

Poet

Photographer

Chef

Historian

Philosopher

Artist

Teacher

Never will I ever stop marveling at what he can do.