Today is our eldest son’s birthday. Many years ago his preschool teacher said to me, “If he sees something going down on the playground that he shouldn’t be a part of, he walks away and finds someone else to play with.” That’s something that, to this day, intrigues me about him. This seemingly innate skill hasn’t only made him a sharp judge of character, it’s also led him to avoid other negative influences in his life. He often walks away from his cell phone, the TV, and various other circumstances that don’t make him feel good.

Parenting has provided me with so many opportunities to be the student rather than the teacher. In addition to being both laid back and extremely hardworking, B inspires me to constantly look at my life and observe when I need to walk away and find someone else to play with.

Thank you for all the lessons, B. I’ll keep watching and learning, if you keep teaching. Happy Birthday Buddy~