Happy 29th Birthday In Heaven My Son Dustin

My Dearest First Born Son Dustin....

29 years ago I gave birth to one of the greatest Sons.

September 29. 1985 changed my life forever in ways that were all for the betterment of my life.

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Most of my childhood was spent going out to Redstone Arsenal for all my Medical as well as going to Commissary for groceries every month with Mama. I had eye surgery in Fort McClellan Army Base in 1972. I was 5 very close to being 6.

It was traumatic as they had wards in the hospital so no private or two room bed patients. It was a line of beds with all the sick and healing Soldiers and  their families.

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Early on, when we'd go out on base at Redstone Arsenal here in Huntsville, Alabama our hometown as we were born in Huntsville Hospital. It was just apart of this area of the USA to see Soldiers Marching and for a child be it Son or Daughter it was a career that many of us natives of Huntsville considered. That or Law Enforcement since the majority of your Grandma's family (Mama's Side) was in some area of Serving the City for many decades.

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When I was 16, My Mama called the Recruitment office and was ready to enroll me or either into some area of the Law. It was very unfortunate that we were not eligible due to our eye-sight which is hereditary handed down for many years. It was a disability that only those of us know what a fight it is to do our best to be able-bodied and nobody wants to be disabled with sight or otherwise. 

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You amazed me by not letting that disability define you and you pushed forward full speed ahead. Not even your best friends knew the struggle it took sometimes to do the tedious work you did concerning your sight and mind depending on it tremendously. 

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It would break my heart that you were self conscious about those areas and I understood that completely as did others because they seen your true passion to get your work and dreams done regardless.

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The encouragement you gave me and I gave you got us above the day to day chaos. Sometimes we wasn't sure and gave it all to Hope & Faith. I know as your Mom that you had plenty of that Courage to succeed at the accomplishments you made for others and yourself. I hope people never forget your geniune generosity, work ethic and your wanting to please them and watch them climb that ladder. You did a Hell of a Job. You Deserve the what ever your heart desires up there in Heaven. I know that would be that your Mom and Brother be Healthy, Safe and Well. 

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You Collected many Military Artifacts

You always bought Military Car Tags

Your Trip To Washington DC, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York was a Highlight in your Life

You  have Pins in your Truck that are still there. Although, someone got the POW Pin.

To you, sitting for hours listening to our Veterans was your kind of Day.

You bought many History Books on our Country.

You Tattooed An American Eagle On your Right Arm From Shoulder to Elbow with your name "Dustin" in Middle.

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I still have your collection of Eagles.

This year for your balloon Release I chose to go to the Huntsville Madison County Veterans Memorial 

Son, I Know your looking down and are amazed at our hometown for Honoring Our Heroes

I Love You Dustin, My First Born Son...I Miss You...I Celebrate Your Life because that's what you'd expect of me.... Your Brothers misses you also... I Know...

Always, know you're my Heavenly Angel and get me through my Days. 

With your Unconditional Everlasting Love & Peace 

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Wtitten By: Dustin's Mom -Gina Haga Nielsen

           

My Son Dustin's Apple Ipod

This July 04.2013 I found the strength to get your  Apple Ipod out to see the almost 3000 songs you had downloaded.

On many occasions I've tried to listen to the songs and all you'd purchased because I know you had a love for music as I do that has been handed down from generations from my Mother and Father on to you and you loved to play music. Throwing down on the Double Bass Drums and Chello. Music is something I always encouraged you to do because as a little girl and through-out my life I've found so much healing in the power of music. 

Teaching you that music is a universal language taught you that you had the ability to get along with anyone from all cultures and you absolutely appreciated learning and growing in those areas in life.

It always amazed me and our neighbors through-out the USA  just how loud we played our music. I think about that often- of just how loud we listened to it. The JVC you bought with the tiny speakers that put out what sounded like a full on concert. The times we rode around jamming to Cd's of our Family Friends in your Tahoe,SUV, Malibu, Pontiac Lemans, Benz and Dodge Truck rolling through the streets of Memphis and Denver was a memory I'll treasure forever. Remembering that big smile of yours.

It was awesome that you loved all genres of music and you can tell that by looking at all these songs you purchased from itunes. I know Rhythm and Blues was your favorite as you wrote on your Myspace that "R&B and the rest" was your favorite. 

In 2006 you bought a little gadget to listen to your Ipod so Alex and I could hear the songs also. I thought that is was one of the coolest gadgets you had bought and considering we started out on Napster way back when, this was really sweet.

During the transition of moving and all that was going on with people in and out of your house I didn't have any idea what happened to that speaker deal that you used to listen to your Ipod.

I'd been thinking about getting your Ipod out of it's safe place put up and listening to the songs and other things you have on it and had the thing (Belkin) you used in your truck to listen to it but had no idea how it worked.

So, the other day, I was thrift store shopping and seen this gadget and had to get it and start to listen to those almost 3000 songs. A little touch of heaven from my sweet angel Son. I only gave $2.50 for it and the guy found an adapter for it and it works like magic.

It is apart of you. Apart of you that only a Mother could truly appreciate. It is those little things that mean so very much to me and are priceless. 

With tears and happiness in my heart I feel very grateful to be able to finally have the courage to do this.

I Love You, Son.

-Your Mom