Happy Birthday Mom, Happy 61st Birthday! On this day, 61 years ago, you change the course of the world’s future by giving birth to your only son. You shared so much with me in the 23 years of life that I physically knew you. You said I was special, you said that I was brought into this world for an important reason, and here I am today living out that prophecy. You use to tell me that you raised me with certain qualities, qualities that you always dreamed about in a man. You always saw right through me into the inner workings of my heart and mind. You were always 10 steps ahead of me, especially when I was mischievous. Even when I steered off course, you always forgave me. How ever upset I got you with my young and immature ways, we had a connection like none other. The arguments and disagreements wouldn’t last long because one of us would always cave in. I would buy you flowers, hug, and kiss you on the cheek, and the troubles would just be washed away with emotions of unconditional love. I guess looking back now, the same qualities that you raised me as are the same qualities that I value and cherish in a woman today. It’s a gift and a curse because you set the bar so high. In your class, your heart, your love, your elegance, your drive, your passion, your patience, your humor, your attitude, your spirit, your intelligence, your kindness the list goes on and on.
You passed away from breast cancer at the young age of 45, in 2005. I remember that day so vividly that I can recreate the images in my head like a movie. The absolute worst day of my life, I lost not only a mother but a best friend. My father lost a wife and his best friend, and my two younger sisters lost a mother, a best friend, and a true role model.
Shortly after your passing in 2005, I was deployed with the United States Air Force to the desert in Afghanistan. I was excited, and scared at the same time, fearful of not knowing if I would come back home. It was my very first night at the base, I was walking to the chow hall (Dining facility) with my three friends on deployment with me. The base was completely blacked out, with no lights whatsoever. All we had were small LED lights and the light from the stars in the sky that pierced through the dense cloud covering. About halfway down the dirt path to the chow hall, a loud screeching noise and a flash of light lit up the sky right above our heads. It was an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) that was launched at the base from the perimeter of the compound. All that was heard after the RPG was scrambling all around us. We just landed, boots on the ground that afternoon, we were still trying to familiarize ourselves with the base, where was the nearest cover (cement bunker)? I grabbed another soldier running past me to ask. We followed him to the nearest cover, and as we were trying to catch our breathes, the base alarm system went off indicating that the base was under attack. As we were standing guard, minutes became hours, as we waited for the “ALL CLEAR” from the base alarm system. I had no appetite that night, we barely ate at the chow hall. I couldn’t sleep that night, I tossed and turned for hours, eventually, I went outside of the tent and just paced in the darkness of the night. All these horrific thoughts ran across my mind. My heart rate was racing, my breathing was just trying to catch up. I thought, here I am at 24 years old and my entire past and future all collided together in a moment in time. I was lost, I was scared, I did the only thing that I could think of at that moment. As tears ran down my cheeks, I asked my mom for help, I looked up at the dark sky and asked for a sign that I was not alone. I needed her more than ever! As I continued to look up at the sky, and wonder if she was listening to my thoughts, out of the darkness of the sky, the largest, brightest shooting star appeared on the horizon. It was so bright that it lit up the entire sky, the night wasn’t as dark anymore. The shooting star traveled from one side of the horizon, above my head, back down towards the opposite of the horizon. It was breathtaking!! I had goosebumps all over, no longer were the tears running down my face from fright and fear, they became tears of joy and comfort. I felt a complete sense of peace come over me instantaneously, my mother was there with me in spirit.
I don’t know who could benefit from my story, but if you to have lost someone dear to your heart, have faith that you aren’t alone.
Happy Birthday Mariela Calderon, my one true love! Thank you for always being there for me, even when you physically can’t be!
Love your Son,
Alston
