Commentary: Month of the Military Child

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Dawn M. Weber
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. My hero just happens to stand two-and-a-half feet from the ground.

In late September, I became a mother. I'll spare you the details on the miracles of child birth, but what I will share with you is that after 15 hours of labor, my life changed in a matter of seconds.

I never thought it was possible to love someone you just met.

At six months old, my son James has a spirit that makes me fall in love with him all over again each and every day. He loves to laugh, smile and I swear he has yet to meet a stranger. He has more zest for life than most adults I've met.

He's just a baby, but he has taught me so much in such a short amount of time. I want to better myself every day because I want to be the best example for him.

With the help of the staff at the Child Development Center West, James has grown from a back-lying infant to a ready-to-crawl baby. He can now sit up by himself, he's reaching for things, and he's more talkative than I ever was.

He has brought out a part of myself that I thought I lost a long time ago. I make it a point to tell him every day, "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always and as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be."

I am a photojournalist, and since James came into my life, I have found a renewed passion for photography and writing. I want to learn so that I can pass it on to him. Not only with my job skills, but other life skills. I want James to grow up and have a fire and flare for everything the world has to offer him.

April is the Month of the Military Child, and as I prepare to go on my first temporary duty assignment, I want my son to understand that sometimes mommy has to go away. I also want him to understand the many sacrifices that myself, other Airmen and members of the Armed Forces have made and are still making to protect his freedoms.

I want him to be a dreamer, but, more importantly, I want him to be a doer. I want him to take every opportunity he is offered, and I want him live his life to the fullest, whatever path he chooses.