Some naval recruits are adopting alternatives to sendoff parties this spring, in light of the pandemic
Photo: Pixabay
From graduations to weddings, Americans are definitely finding creative ways to celebrate special events in spite of coronavirus-related shutdowns. One family in Arvada, Colorado found a fun way to honor their son’s enlistment with the Navy.
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A tale of canceled plans
Joseph Ruiz’s journey to the @USNavy was a long one. It started about a year ago when he wanted to serve his country and gain a deeper connection to his grandfather. Today, he’s finally getting a special send-off from his family and friends. #HeyNext #9News pic.twitter.com/0V2kSobHmw
— Byron Reed (@BReed05) April 21, 2020
The Ruiz family of Arvada had been anticipating giving their son Joseph the gift of a cruise, to celebrate his enlistment with the Navy. However, when the cruise canceled due to the pandemic, they opted for a going-away party. That, too, got canceled. If those two things weren’t enough to put a damper on the party spirit, the family also discovered that they would be unable to attend Joseph’s swearing-in ceremony.
But Coloradans are resilient. The Ruizes chose to live up to Charles Swindoll’s adage, “life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it.”
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A creative alternative
The family organized a car parade sendoff to show Joseph their support as he drove from his home to the Navy recruiting station. More than a dozen cars from friends and family participated, waving encouraging signs and honking to express their pride.
Even though Joseph was wearing a face mask, the parade elicited an emotional reaction from him, as you can tell from watching the video clip. It meant so much to him that he claims that he cried most of the way to the station. “I was hugging on my family, just telling them goodbye one last time before I go to the Navy and start my real life.”
We wish Joseph the best of luck in the new chapter of his naval career. For the rest of us, it’s a great reminder to keep pursuing life goals no matter what obstacles get in the way.
Whitney Russell is a current resident of Dayton, though her spirit can be found beach-bumming in Puerto Rico (the land of her half-Puerto Rican heritage). When not adventuring through the exciting world of car news, she can be found hiking with her husband and their two dogs, motorcycling, visiting her cute nephews and nieces, discovering new memes, reorganizing and/or decorating some corner of the world, researching random things, and escaping into a great movie, poem, or short story. See more articles by Whitney.
