WORST MOM EVER??
Dear Sgt Grit,
I feel like the worst mom ever. My son is in boot camp (Marine Corps) of which I am very proud. To make a long story short, he left in September, got hurt after 3 weeks, went to MRP, was kept there for 3 weeks and was told off and on that he would be sent home. His moral dropped to an all time low. After being given a clean bill of health he was picked up by another PLT and regained a good deal of his motivation. Last week he failed his rifle quals and was told that if he failed again on Friday, he would be set back two weeks. He wrote me stating that he would not be set back if he failed because he would just go to MRP and
tell them he was going to hurt himself and then they would send him home. He also went on to complain about how he had just set too high a goal for himself on becoming a Marine. At first I was shocked, then I became enraged. How could this knucklehead son of mine come up with this pile of sh–? It didn't sound like him. I couldn't sit back and let him quit. A Marine once offered that if I ever had an emergency he would help get me in contact with my son. I explained the situation to him and although this wasn't an emergency he said he would do what he could. He spoke with the SDI and they agreed to let me speak with my son. I think they were all expecting me to give him some words of encouragement but I was so consumed by my anger that I just let him have it. I can't even remember all that I said but I do remember some statements such as “You will NOT F—–g quit. The only way you're getting
off that island is broken or as a Marine! Suck it up!” etc.
Now that it is all said and done I feel like total crap. I never
once asked him how he was, or wished him a happy birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years. I used up my one favor on yelling at my son! I'm sure it didn't go too good for him having his mom called either. I wrote him a letter but I don't think it will get there by Friday. I want to know if any of you Marines were ever yelled at by your mom in boot camp when you were low and if so how long it took you to forgive her.
Worst Mom Ever
PS Sorry about the language. I was in the Navy for 10 years.