Every evening, as I retire my tenure as CEO of another day, the lights in our home are relieved of their faithful duty, one by one. The moths, which enjoy basking in the light and tiny insects that doddle about the window panes, simply move on to their night time lair and wait for the coming day. Though our power meter spins like that of a hamster wheel, I believe a well lit home conveys a gracious invitation to anyone who wishes to visit.

Our children, either by choice or by coercion, tend to live life in their parent’s shadow. It’s a safe place, of a familiar shape, provided for their protection. A place to find shelter from the day’s trials and a pallet upon which to rest with an assurance they’ll sleep well through the night. Like butterflies from a cocoon, our little dumplings will one day emerge from beneath us, step timidly into the light, and wiggle their way to create a shadow of their own, one where they’ll invite those who need protecting, a place to find refuge from the trails they face, and a soft pallet upon which to sleep.

Last evening, as I was walking through my routine of laying low the lamps, chandeliers, and porch lights in our home before bed, with my wood floors moaning in protest as I trod over their bones, this image hung heavy on my eyes in a way I had not seen before. This anchor, which has been hung as if a medal on the chest of a naval war hero, has donned our front door for most of our two daughter’s stay along the Severn. It has served our family well for seven years now. Though the anchor has been a nice nautical feature, jammed pack full of Navy spirit, it’s the shadow that laid at my feet I noticed, unlike any other time, which raised the hairs on my neck and chilled my heart. The salty tears began to well up as I realized, the anchor, which has stood watch all these years, is a beautiful representation of our Midshipmen, and now, it is me who stands in their shadow.

The shadow of the shield they wield, which has been, “imbued with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty”, is one to cherish and worthy to stand under. Now, the Naval
Academy is training Midshipmen to be the safe shadow for those who need protecting, a place to hide when those they serve need a retreat from the day’s toil, and will soon be the assurance for those who need a soft place to lay their heads for when the wolf knocks at the door. Their familiar shape, that will spread across the seven seas, the heavens, and fruited plains, will be guided by the oath they took which proclaims, in part, “I will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”. That’s a deep and wide shadow for our collective Mids to cast, but it’s a net they’ve been weaving together their entire lives, it’s just who they are.

So, as this anchor continues to occupy its coveted spot and warmly welcomes those who care to cross our threshold, though the front is attractive and dressed in hues of white, it’s the shadow it casts in the dark of night which reassures me that our kids, as well as your’s, now have the watch. ⚓️