CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Like many military moms, Ravae Ramos of Corpus Christi is getting ready to spend another Mother's Day without her son coming to visit.
Izaiah Ramos, 20, is serving his country overseas right now aboard the USS Momsen, a Navy destroyer.
But this week, she received something from him unexpectedly.
“I get the message, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God,'" Ravae said. "It’s just tears — just waterworks. But yeah, it was definitely a surprise."
The surprise came in the form of a post on the American Connections Media Outreach blog — a website that says it specializes in "sharing sailor stories through local connections."
“I just want to say happy Mother’s Day to the best mother any son could ask for,” Izaiah said in the blog. "Thank you for making me the man I am today. I love you, Mom. See you soon."
The message was the best gift Ravae could ask for.
“To finally get that moment to where they say, ‘Thank you, Mom,’ and that they appreciate all the hard work — and you see them working just as hard — it’s really a blessing," she said.
Izaiah left for basic training in June 2020.
Since then, Ravae says she's only seen him a couple of times.
Phone calls are more common, but not while he's aboard a ship.
“It’s rough," Ravae said. "He’s my first (child). I had him very young. We grew up together, and being away from him is definitely hard."
She's not the only one who misses Izaiah.
His siblings, including an 18-year-old brother who's a senior at Carroll High School, were also happy to hear from him.
“Him and his brother were really close," Ravae said. "They definitely grew up together. And the four year old — it’s a little sister. So, she has him wrapped around that finger and then some. Yep, anything she wants.”
It's unclear when Izaiah will return to where he's stationed in Everett, Washington.
But until then, he and his shipmates will receive lots of positive thoughts coming from Corpus Christi.
“I just pray for him — pray for him and his fellow sailors every day," Ravae said. "Make sure they get to come back home to their loved ones."
