The Moto Blossom Story

When my son was on MCRD Parris Island in 2017 training to earn the title of US Marine, I delivered a small vase of fresh flowers to his girlfriend every Monday for each of the 12 weeks they were apart (yes, it was just 12 weeks then). The flowers celebrated the passage of another week as we both continued to write motivational letters to our recruit, awaiting news from boot camp that all was well.

In 2018, when a friend's son shipped out for his time in Marine Recruit Training, I decided to make fabric flowers to mark each week for her, celebrating her son's accomplishments and helping to keep her inspired through the long weeks. Like the previous year, I delivered the blossoms on Mondays, which we quickly named “Moto Mondays”, borrowing the term “Moto” from the Marine Corps, an abbreviation for the “motivation” Marines must internalize to push through their many challenges in training and during their service.

These first fabric flowers represented various stages of the training process, from the official colors of his recruit battalion to ‘Swim Week’, ‘Rifle Week’, Basic Warrior Training and the colors of the platoon guidons that recruits follow everywhere on Parris Island. The blossom representing the final 54 hour challenge known as the Crucible was made from a retired USMC fatigue blouse and button, exactly like the uniform the recruits wear during this infamous final boot camp test. The last blossom featured red piping and a brass button like those adorning the Dress Blues uniform that is so iconic to the Marine Corps. Upon completion of the 13 week training period, this Mom had a remembrance bouquet of the emotional journey that followed her son’s great accomplishment.

Fueled with positive reviews from other Marine families, I now offer 13-flower Bootcamp Bouquets to new cycles of Marine Recruit families and loved ones who could use some encouragement as they support their future Marine. With the blessings of time and patience, my original boot camp product line will grow to include a garden of colorful Moto Blossoms intended to celebrate and inspire other meaningful moments.

I keep some inventory, but since I am a one-woman company, I mostly make each blossom and bouquet to order, including the customized tags that mark the dates for each boot camp journey. I thank you for supporting my passion project as you support your recruits and Marines. May God Bless them all in their service.