I have a habit (not sure if it’s a good or bad one) of not crying when I’m depressed or upset – at least not in front of friends and family. I save the tears for a closely confined, private space where no one can watch. But yesterday I had a really awful day. No particular reason why, just cumualative daily events, along with the riveting economic news in the US, along with not feeling physically all that good. It was one of those days where I wanted to cry all day but couldn’t really break out in a full-on tear storm in front of co-workers.

So there you have it, at the end of the work day, a sad mom, fixing dinner, tired and still bummed out. After Luke begged me for the third time to come read his book with him, despite the fact that three things were cooking on the stove, I decided to sit down with him anyway. And that’s when it happened. Tears came out of nowhere as Luke was pointing out the butterflies and beach balls and bees (and every other “b” word) on the pages of his picture book.

At first, Luke thought I was kidding, looking at me, laughing and saying, “Silly Mommy!” Then when I didnt’ stop crying, he looked at me very seriously and said, “Mommy, what’s wrong?” When I said, “It’s just been a bad day, sweetie” and kept crying, he responded: “Mom, you have to stop crying.” Then he proceeded to get up from the seat, saying “I’ll be right back.” He walks back to me a few moments later, puts a band-aid on my nose and says, “Now everything will be all better.  You can stop crying.”

Just one of those precious moments where I wish I could re-wind time and view the world through the eyes of a child.