My second mother had always told me a story about the day she felt bad as a single parent.
It was a morning where Sam, her son, said that he needed her and it broke her heart. She had to go to work and the reality of the situation meant that she could not stay home with him.
Adam has been fighting his allergies the last few days. This morning, unexpectedly, I dropped him off at preschool and he turned around and said the exact same thing “daddy, I need you”. I gave him a hug and told him it would be alright.
But he kept repeating himself and had tears from his feelings being hurt. I’ll never forget looking back and seeing his slumped shoulders, tear filled eyes and hands to his mouth pleading for me. It wasn’t a toddler I-want-a-toy need – he wanted me for real comfort.
AAA had a real life lesson this morning and I’m sure in a way it changed him a tiny bit. It’s normal but it hurt to be delivering the lesson.