As many of you know, I’ve shared in the privilege of parenting Matthew and Julia since they were barely older than Olivia and Callen are now.

Not long after we all moved in together, we had our first family meeting. My stomach churned as we took our seats in front of the fireplace. I began some nervous chatter about the past few weeks and the many changes it had brought to their young lives. As newlyweds at the helm of a newly-blended family, we posed our questions: How did they feel? What were their worries? Was there anything they wanted to change moving forward?

L-o-o-o-n-g Pause.

We waited in the silence, hearts pounding, our minds having conjured up every response imaginable. Except for this one. Matt took a deep breath and spoke first. “Better lighting in the living room, and more variety at dinner.”

Thankful for that dimly-lit living room, the expression on our faces couldn’t be read. Somewhere between shock and amusement, I’m sure. We had braced for the worst, fueled by grown-up conjecture and speculation. And Matt had just delivered a very grounding (and attainable!) charge.

Callen, in similar fashion, is keeping our feet firmly planted as our minds race all over the universe. Just a few nights ago, after a particularly emotional day, we were doing the normal nighttime routine. Brushing teeth (checking for bleeding), pajamas (careful not to disturb his central line), snuggling in (checking to ensure his skin is cool and dry). A bedtime story, a bedtime prayer. And then, like every night, I asked him if there was anything he wanted to talk about, anything he was worried about?

I reflected on our day - on what he had been put through, on the adult conversations he had been party to, on the emotion that had brimmed over in his presence. I wondered how his 4 year-old mind had digested these events, how I might now have to find tender answers to tough questions.

Callen took a deep breath and said, “Mom, I don’t see anything to worry about here. All I can see are a bunch of balloons and my ceiling fan.”

Indeed! How quickly we forget the lessons of our past! Which reminds me, I wonder what’s for dinner?