Lessons from Brody

Dear Brody,

I realized today you are teaching me a valuable lesson. The lesson of just letting go; being care free. It's refreshing. I am a little sad it took me until now to realize what you have been showing me all along but better late than never.

The moment it clicked today, we were outside. You were running around without your pants on and grabbed the hose. I had left it on from earlier today when we filled up your pool because I know how much you love squeezing the nozzle and shooting water EVERYWHERE. Naturally you beelined for the nozzle, picked it up and squeezed. Dad put it on mist mode claiming it was the safest setting. I am pretty sure he meant safest for him and I, in case you pointed it in our direction. After a few test squeezes you pointed it right at yourself and squeezed. You looked shocked, but only for an instant because bubbles of laughter took over. It was priceless. Luckily I am obsessed with taking pictures of you and captured it:

It dawned on me that you didn't care that you were spraying yourself in the face, or getting your shirt soaking wet. In that moment you were just living. Having fun. Enjoying the mist of water slowly drenching you from head to toe. When you turned the mist on me, instead of telling you no like I have in the past, I shrieked and tried to get away, which only made you laugh harder. That's what we did today. We took turns chasing each other with the hose. Spraying and laughing. It was priceless.

Everything started clicking from there. We are going to have a lot of days of getting soaked even if it wasn't planned. You, my boy, are going to get dirty on a daily basis, and I WON'T change you shirt every time it starts getting dirty. You can dirty your shirt up ALL day. Because it's pointless trying to control that stuff. It's way more fun playing with you, watching the joy you get from accidentally flipping a shovel full of dirt at yourself…or me! Some days, nothing is going to go how I may have planned. Leaving the house on time? Completely prepared? That has yet to happen yet, so why worry over it now?

You live in the moment, Brody. You don't micromanage, you don't over think or care about perfection. You take what you are given and find ways to make the most of it. It's a lesson worth learning over and over.

I love you baby boy
Mommy