Bedtime is a crazy time in any home and it usually is for us, but sometimes it's my favorite. Last night was one of those times for me.

Our usual routine with the boys is for daddy to pray and sing (story optional depending on whether they've already spent time wrestling) and then the boys like to "hide" from me under their covers and I have to go looking for them. They usually bark, quack, moo, or oink in an attempt to "throw me off track". After about a minute, I usually pretend to cry and say, " I don't want a pig, I want my Caleb. I don't want a cow, I want my Caden." Then they pull back the covers laughing and I pretend to be shocked. It's first rate entertainment.

Anyway, last night, Caleb asked me to snuggle with him and when I crawled into his bed he put his arm around me, looked straight into my eyes, and said, "Mommy, I'm never gonna break your heart." I was dumbfounded, especially when Mark, who sometimes puts the boys up to saying sweet things to me, was right there asking, "What did you just say?" Caleb repeated his statement. I asked him what made him say that to me. He answered, " I was just laying here thinkin 'bout it."

Ok... This kid is 4. He's already one of the most sensitive and loving people I know. And even though a friend of mine jokingly suggested that I write his words down and have him sign it for proof when he's a teenager, I know I can't hold him to it.

My son will break my heart. He will, as all people do, make choices that will not be wise. He will, one day, probably say something harsh to me that will hurt my feelings. And ultimately, one day, he will give his heart to another. This is something that I want him to do, but right now I can't bear the thought. There's possibly a deeper meaning or insight that can be drawn from his words, but that will take some reflection and for now I just wanted to make sure I committed the words to cyberspace.