Proof That Hard Work, Parenting Pays Dividends

On reaching a milestone, there is time to reflect what made it possible to get that far or attain that goal. There was such a milestone story reported May 23 by reporter Deborah McGuire. It focused on two brothers, raised in Wildwood who are stellar graduates of that city’s schools. Both retired on the same day after 30 years of service in the U.S. Army, each having attained the rank of colonel.
That doesn’t happen very often, especially to two brothers raised by a single mother, and who had other siblings.
The Carey brothers, Phillip, 53, and Roger, 55, are not the first or only residents of the Five Mile Beach to achieve high military rank. There was Joy Bright (Hancock-Ofstie), daughter of William H. Bright of Wildwood who rose from the rank of yeoman in the Navy to become that service’s highest-ranking female officer.
Nor are the brothers this county’s only natives who attained high rank. There are some of flag rank, including Major Gen. Michael S. Linnington, who was from Lower Township, and retired Rear Adm. Fred Metz, a Court House native.
Forgive me if I missed others, the point is made, there have been others from strictly Cape May County families who went from here to great stations in life. There have been others from Wildwood who became judges, physicians and clerics.
Too often, we see Wildwood, in particular, maligned for not being what it was half a century ago. Instead of casting a wide blanket, we ought to consider the simple power of one.
What does that mean? In the case of the Careys, it means there was one woman, their mother, who set a course for her children and did not waiver. That is the power of one. It is easy to say, “What did you expect? They lived in Commissioners’ Court.” That is a public housing facility in the heart of Wildwood.
Their mother, the late Margaret Carey, set a course for her children that meant religion, discipline and hard work. As reported in their story, it was that maternal guidance throughout their careers that steered them right, kept them from joining forces with the wrong crowd, and, we must believe, kept them in her prayers every day. There is much to be said for that kind of person. It proves the power of one, when fully exercised, will have far-reaching effects.
It would have been so easy to take her family in another direction, after all, they didn’t have much by worldly standards, but maybe that was part of the plan. They would have taken to the streets, just do enough to get by, take an easy job, we all know the drill.
The milestone marked by the Carey brothers is one what is not unique in their family, as all other siblings mirrored the ethics of their mother, worked hard and made success their own.
Once again, it is proof positive that it does not matter where you came from, but what you do and where you land that matters. It shows, too, that those who set a high bar attain that goal. Those who set no goals end miserably.
Parents, learn from this family’s caring mother. There is nothing wrong with being a firm parent, not a just a pal to smooth away the rough spots. It’s a grain of sand that irritates the oyster that produces a pearl.
There is no valid reason to look around and complain there is no way out of poverty. If there is motivation, and someone at home to push, help and, yes, pray for them, the future can be bright. A word of caution, success is not automatic, there is a four-letter word attached: w-o-r-k.