“Dad?”

I looked up from my computer screen, and all I could see was the black of the room.  I knew where to look, but could not see the sweet little face behind it.

“Yeah, buddy, what’s up?”

“What are you doing up so late working?”

That’s how my day started…or yesterday ended.

As parents, we spend tremendous amounts of time watching over our kids.  We make sure they are fed and clothed.  We provide opportunities to learn new things.  We take family trips.  We shape their character so they will be awesome adults.

If we pay attention, we get to see the world through the eyes of our kids.  If we try to understand why they ask the questions they do and what they are trying to learn from the world, we are in a better place to guide them.

But once in a while, something really unique and special happens.  Our kids really surprise us.

My son, 6, was checking in on his mommy and daddy.  He could have been taking a midnight potty break or getting a drink of water, but he didn’t go to the bathroom.  He wasn’t exploring the source of a bunch of noise; my keystrokes were not loud enough to draw an audience of any sort.  He didn’t have a nightmare: he just woke up and checked on his parents.

I wonder how often he does this.