Eisenhower Sailors Celebrating Mother's Day

USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, AT SEA

05.09.2010

Courtesy Story

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69)   

By Petty Officer 1st Class Amy Kirk and Petty Officer 2nd Class Gina Wollman

USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, At Sea - Mother's Day holds a special poignancy for those in uniform and deployed halfway around the world. While celebrating the joys and duties of motherhood, we are reminded of the sacrifices made by military families.

Moms aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower will not wake up to a breakfast in bed served by sticky, grape-jelly covered hands or from-the-heart, handmade greeting cards, but thoughts of their children will carry them through the day.

"The most difficult part about being away from my son this Mother's Day is the fact that I promised him when he turned 9 he could help his Dad cook for me," said Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 1st Class LaSherrie James. "Little did I know he would remember that promise. He emailed me and said, 'You said I would be able to cook for you on Mother's Day, and you are not even here.' I felt so bad."

Despite the heartache that comes from being separated from her son, James said she holds on to the sweet memories of previous Mother's Days, and those thoughts never fail to bring her a smile.

"The most memorable thing that my son and I did for Mother's Day was to go out to breakfast. Since he was too young to cook for me then, the waitress allowed him to bring my food to the table. I am still smiling at that," said James.

Of course, moms aboard Eisenhower won't be the only ones marking the day with bittersweet memories. We cannot forget the sons and daughters aboard who will not have the opportunity to take their moms to lunch, surprise them with an unannounced visit, or lend a hand with household chores.

"When you are a kid you have chores like mowing the grass, washing the car. You did those things for a reward or to avoid punishment. As time goes on, especially now, I do the same things, but I do them as symbol of love as opposed to a task," said Cmdr. Jon Brzek, Eisenhower's command chaplain.

Brzek added that one of the things he believes makes a wonderful mother is the ability to love unselfishly. Invariably, mothers will do less for themselves so they can do more for their children.

"Motherhood is a vocation. A job is something you do; a vocation is something you are. It's a calling," said Brzek. "Whether you are physically there or not, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – that's who you are. It's like this tremendous gift. Moms are responsible for their children for life."

Fathers aboard Eisenhower are well aware of the sacrifices made by mothers on the home front. On Mother's Day, many are wishing they were home to ease the burdens of the parent left behind who has to act as both mother and father in their absence.

Reactor Department Mechanical Assistant Lt. Cmdr. Joseph Singer said that over the course of his 23-year marriage, he has spent a large portion of time away from home on deployment.

"My wife has spent quite a few years basically being a single parent," he said. "My kids are growing up to be great people, and that's all because of the love and dedication from their mother."

Singer said his wife was born to be a mother, and he is proud of the job she does on the home front to keep their children's lives as normal as possible.

"She's always told me that all she ever wanted to be was a wife and a mother, and all her dreams have come true," he said. "Our kids adore her; she is very caring and patient. She always has a smile on her face and a song in her heart."

Many deployed mothers, fathers, sons and daughters will do their best to ignore the passing of Mother's Day, deciding to postpone the occasion until the family can be reunited. Others may rejoice over a special e-mail, a gift received in the mail or a phone call home.

Hopefully, everyone aboard Eisenhower will take a brief moment to pause and thank mothers everywhere for the sacrifices they make daily. Whether it's sacrificing 20 minutes of rare personal time to listen to who-got-mad-at-whom today at lunch or sacrificing 6, 12 or 18 months away from the family in service to your country, these actions do not go unnoticed (although sometimes it takes years for children to truly appreciate them).

"For a Mother to be away from home for seven months or longer – the thought is almost inconceivable," said Brzek. "It is a true example of unselfish love; they sacrifice themselves so their children can have a better life. To be honest, I don't know how they do it."

So, on this special day, we take a moment to celebrate mothers – those on the frontlines and those on the home front. We celebrate them as they live their lives fully and teach their children to do the same. We hope with them as they picture a world where their children, and all children, are safe. We will cry tears of joy with them the day we return home and their hearts burst with love as they embrace their children.

Eisenhower is underway as part of a regularly scheduled deployment to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. Operations in the 5th Fleet AOR are focused on reassuring regional partners of the coalition's commitment to help set conditions for security and stability. U.S. forces maintain a naval and air presence in the region that deters destabilizing activities while safeguarding the region's vital links to the global economy.

• Date Taken: 05.09.2010
• Date Posted: 05.09.2010 16:41
• Story ID: 49372
• Location: USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, AT SEA