1. 24
FOR
BE
TO
SE
S
ER
A LT
O W
HO PROFES
R
SO
I C 3 ,
O S PC-2
H R Y, S
02
W OU A R A
H AUR L
BY

2. TION
U C
OD
TR
IN

3. EMPATHY
• Walking a mile in another
person’s shoes
• Trying to empathize with my
son’s decisions by
recollecting my youth
• Adults tend to view
choices/decisions based on
their own flawed memories
• Reduces the ability to
empathize

4. I CHOOSE TO BE MY OLDEST SON
• Learn about who I am
• Understand who my son is
• Understand why I have chosen him
• Understand what I hope to gain from
this choice

5. IS
SON
Y
M
HO
W

6. • Committed to a high
level of integrity
• Uses his mistakes to
learn and move forward
• A man that I can look
up to
AIRMAN
DAVID JOSEPH
BIGELOW, II

7. HIM
SE
C HO
Y I
H
W

8. ON HIS OWN
• Made him move out of my home
• He had to fend for himself for the first time
• Never occurred to me that he could be
overwhelmed
• Used my own flawed memories to assume it
would be easy for him
• He made it look easy
• Then, he admitted it was difficult

9. RN
L EA
TO
OPE
IH
H AT
W

10. GAINING FROM THIS • Feel the emotions of youth to better my
EXPERIENCE parenting
• Remember what it means to have the fear,
apprehension, and enjoyment of taking on
a new chapter in life
• Remember what drives a young adult
• Have more empathy for all of my children
• Know how he views me as an adult;
successes/weaknesses
• Know he is happy and secure
• Know that he feels he is enough

11. N
IO
LUS
C
C ON

12. AS I END…..
• Wife, leader, business
woman
• Mostly a mom
• Tethered to empowerment
and positive growth of my
children
• Choosing one of my
children or my husband
provides value to the
experience.