Warm Fuzzies

This school year I volunteered to bring craft supplies on Valentine’s Day for my son’s 5th grade class. For Christmas I made a bunch of “warm fuzzies” for family & friends to hang on their tree or wherever. A warm fuzzy is made of different strands of strings and yarn – a variety of colors and textures – with a special message written on a small tag. I suggested this craft for the Valentine’s Day party and he rolled with it (options seemed limited for 5th graders). As Valentine’s Day approached it occurred to me he might not actually want me to come (maybe just send the supplies). He is in 5th after all and I was trying to be mindful of the embarrassment factor. So I asked, and he very sweetly told me it was fine for me to come. That’s our Sweet Willy. He also goes by WRM, Otis, and Peabody, but we’ll use Sweet Willy for our warm fuzzy adventure.

Valentine’s Day came and went. I went to his classroom and made warm fuzzies with him and his classmates. I was so grateful he let me participate. If he was embarrassed he never let on. He even took a picture with me. He may not fully understand how much this afternoon meant to me until he has kids of his own, but my heart was so full.

Sweet Willy is my first born. My motherhood journey started with him. It was a long labor that eventually ended in a c-section. When they brought him to the recovery room I remember thinking he wasn’t real. Weighing in at 9 lbs 4 oz he was practically a three month old. He’s named after my grandpa, and I will never forget when he came to the hospital and held him for the first time. It’s one of my favorite memories of both of them. Sweet Willy is a storyteller and he knows a few good stories about his great grandpa. I wish they would have had more time together.

Fast forward 11 years and he’s about to finish elementary school. The last two years of this pandemic brought uncertainty, fear, and disruption. But it also allowed for more time with our kids. There were moments during the height of the pandemic where I remember feeling like someone literally hit the pause button and all I had was time at home with my kids. A true gift in the midst of global chaos.

My husband calls Sweet Willy a renaissance man. He has many talents and knows a lot about a lot of things. He’s inquisitive and has always been able to retain facts and trivia. It started at a young age with trains, then super heroes, and now fishing and sports (basketball & football). Sweet Willy is a true adventurer. He’s always ready to explore and meet new people. He’s been this way for as long as I can remember. He’s usually dirty from fishing or sports, has a Gatorade mustache, and several bug bites. He’s clumsy (like his mom) and can fall sleep literally anywhere (like his dad). He gives the best hugs and his smile is infectious. I love to watch him compete in sports. He’s a leader and a hustler, and one of my favorite places to be is cheering him on from the sidelines. One of the very best parts of motherhood.