Bittersweet.

Will and I like to walk home from church each week. We look for all kinds of treasures...bugs, rocks, "bage" (garbage), etc. He's starting to get a tad of an independence streak. If I try to do something he does not like, he'll say, "Stop!" which is more like, "Top!" and it's adorable.

So today, we were walking along and I reached my hand down. More often than not, he grabs it and we hold hands. Today, as I reached down, he said, "No, (s)top!" And it may have broken my heart just a tad. But of course we just walked along, side by side, hands to ourselves. A guy who was walking behind us caught up (we're on the slower side). As he passed he said, "He's already too old to hold your hand, eh?" I joked, "Apparently!"....while my heart broke just a tad more. Too old? My little baby? That man was totally right.

When we approached the front steps, Will started to take the first step. But, as he did, he reached his little hand up and grabbed onto mine for help. I smiled and my heart mended....he's not too old to hold my hand when he needs it.

P.S. Although this sounds strangely Love You Forever-ish...no, I will not be the crazy mom who sneaks into his bedroom when he's grown to hold him. (Sharon...I know you were thinking it!)