For all the moms and dads out there who often wonder if anything they say or do makes any difference in the lives of their children, I can assure you there is hope. After an afternoon/evening—really weeks—of whining and bad choices, Ren wanted to take a couple minutes to chill with momma before bed. We read another chapter in our book, “Galactic Hot Dogs: Cosmoe’s Wiener Getaway,” and then we read our nightly Bible story. It was about Jacob and the choices he made when he tricked his brother and when he wanted to be reconciled many years later. After we talked through the story, I asked him if there was anything he wanted to pray about. He crawled up in my lap, hugged me tight, and started, “Dear God, help me grow up to be a good man—with all my heart and with all my might, help me to be a good man. Protect my family and protect my other family—the one I will have when I grow up. Thank you for my lovely mother.” He even told me that I can still call him my baby. I do believe that he will grow up to be a good man. (From Facebook, February 8, 2016)

This morning Ren crawled onto my lap and started singing a made up song, “Be gentle on mommy, she’s 100 years old, na na na, na na na na na na.” For his finale he started humming Vader’s theme from Star Wars. Then he pinched the back of my arm. Is it gonna be one of those days?