The Plan



Are any of these plants edible? I don't know.


I wasn't always supportive about my son's plan to join the military. I should have been. He'd dreamed about it since he was five years old and never had interest in doing anything else. And yet, I questioned him even as he talked to recruiters. I asked him whether he'd really thought it through, which in retrospect, was laughable. He'd thought of nothing else.

He took all of his required courses early in high school. Then he added military history courses, joined marching band to master marching (not play the trumpet, which made sense in hindsight), and loaded up on weight-lifting courses and track in his junior and senior years. He was preparing for boot camp. He'd thought it out years earlier.

He loved basic training when he got there. He thrived on the physical tests and has since become a P.T. and hand-to-hand combat instructor. His knowledge of military history, protocol and regulations also landed him a spot on the Honor Guard. He plans to test for Special Forces this winter and wants to pursue a role as a survival specialist.

So now he has a new plan. He's still increasing his physical strength and skills, but he's also refreshing his first aid training and will take a botany course. I laugh now when I think about how foolishly I'd doubted him. He's always thought things through. I know he'll ace his tests and succeed in this next new chapter of his life. After all, that's always been the plan.