Laurie Posci holds photos of her three daughters, all service members. (Mel Evans, The [Bergen County, N.J.] Record) |
Laurie Pocsi, a single mom and certified public accountant in Wayne, N.J., has three daughters in uniform. Nuclear Electrician’s Mate 2nd Class Adrian Pocsi Hill, 24, is assigned to the carrier Enterprise. Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Alexis Pocsi, 23, just left Naples, Italy, for a new assignment on the amphibious assault ship Saipan. Marine Sgt. Lauren Pocsi, 21, passed up a college scholarship to join the Corps and plays bassoon with the 3rd Marine Air Wing Band at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif. Laurie also has a son, 19-year-old Richard, who gets “a fair amount of kidding” from his sisters for being the only sibling not in uniform.
To my three daughters,
What a change 17 months can make! Alexis, by the time I waved good-bye to you, I was so busy being proud that I guess I never really appreciated just how much this would change our lives. Somehow, it seemed so unnatural to be dealing with powers of attorney and wills for teen-agers.
I remember being so glad the last boot camp was over. I thought my hand would fall off, writing all those letters! And no more sitting by the phone, in case my recruit actually called. I looked forward to those calls but they were the most difficult, reminding me just how helpless I was to protect you now.
Over? Silly me — what was I thinking? Can you say “deployment” or “care packages”? Endless e-mails, sky-high phone bills and plane fares for leave that somehow never seemed to coincide. We had one wedding and delayed another; had a few family deaths and a real close call. We have not shared a holiday together since 1997. We still shared laughs and cries, though, often long-distance. Life had changed.
And then, 9/11, and a real life change. Now each of you is responsible for protecting us. The reality is that those uniforms are not just sharp outfits. They are symbols of who and what you have become. I am honored to be your mother, and I pray to God to keep you safe, returning you to us once your jobs are done.
All my love,
Mom
USN, USMC, USN
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