February 28

I didn't sleep well last night so I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, as they say. Then I asked Isaac to take a shower and get dressed so we could leave by a specific time, and he dragged his feet, which I knew meant I'd be stuck in the sticky morning school traffic. So I got mad.

Even as I drove along lecturing him for not listening to me, I felt badly about it because he's a reflective kid and thinks deeply and I worried that he might be silently berating himself. And indeed, he didn't argue with me or make excuses. He just looked out the window.

After a few moments, while stopped at a red light, I took and released a breath, turned to look at him, and as I held his gaze I told him that I loved him and that I was sorry for yelling. He was quiet for a moment and then replied that it was okay because he gets grumpy when he doesn't sleep well, too. 

And that was that. Grace given. Tension broken.

I took this photo of him this evening while we were watching the end of Brady's practice. He'd climbed atop that rather tall box and was laughing at something that tickled his fancy. I thought he looked so wonderful and free in that moment, and as I thought back on his words from this morning, I wasn't surprised. Because grace is a power-packed, freedom-granting blessing, and I'm blessed that my kiddo knows how to give it.