When my son was deployed for a year to Iraq with the National Guard, I anticipated the emotional rollercoaster of being apart from him. To help me cope, he set up a Skype account before his departure so we could video chat occasionally. While the connection wasn’t as flawless as depicted in shows like NCIS, I still cherished seeing his smile and hearing his familiar greeting, “Hi, Mom,” every few weeks.
Each time Jake’s call would come through, my computer emitted a charming little chime, reminiscent of a gentle bell. Due to the significant time difference between Oregon and Iraq, these calls often occurred late at night. Fearing I might miss a call that could take days or weeks to reschedule, I became hyper-aware of that sound, able to detect it from any room in the house.
One particularly warm summer night, I was in bed when I heard that delightful chime echoing from down the hall. I jumped out of bed and dashed to my computer, eager to answer. Jake’s grinning face appeared on the screen, but his excitement quickly turned to shock. “OH MY GOD, MOM!!! Are you NAKED?!?” To my utter dismay, I realized I was donning only my husband’s boxers.
In a panic, I dove to the floor, knocking over a chair in the process, and crawled on my hands and knees towards Kenny’s closet to grab a t-shirt. Meanwhile, I waved my free arm in front of the screen, shouting, “Wait! Wait! Don’t hang up!!” Laughter erupted from Jake’s Army friends, who were clearly enjoying the spectacle. Jake shouted, “Mom! MOM!! Click the ‘AUDIO ONLY’ button! It’s on your left! AUDIO ONLY!!” “No, wait! I’m here! DON’T HANG UP!” I continued to yell until I finally managed to pull a t-shirt over my head and scrambled back in front of the computer, now appropriately dressed for a video call with my son.
Jake looked at me with a dry expression and said, “You do realize that when I return, and anyone asks me about the most traumatic experience I had over here, I’ll have to say, ‘MY MOTHER.’” Clearly, the ability to traumatize our children is a timeless skill, regardless of age.
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In summary, parenting often involves unexpected moments that can become lasting memories for both parents and children. Embracing these experiences, even when they lead to humorous mishaps, can strengthen family bonds and create shared stories that last a lifetime.