I realized it at the house, with enough time to flinch, but not enough time to repack the lunchbox before heading off. I knew on my way to school, he’d have a reaction, how severe, I’d have to wait to find out. Seriously, it could’ve been a range between losing his mind and not even noticing, but when EVERYTHING is Super Mario, you notice when it’s not.

I did it. I made a major mommy faux-pas. I packed my sons lunch in his little brother’s lunchbox. Instead of his mega cool Super Mario lunchbox, he pulled a Paw Patrol sack out of his backpack. Luckily he’s 5 and still in the realm of thinking Paw Patrol wasn’t half bad. Luckily, he didn’t completely lose his mind (which proves I’m winning the parenting game on some level) when he pulled out the lunch and luckily, I was able to turn it into a learning lesson.

After the initial shock of the discovery (“What the heck” is his current favorite phrase) and thinking I was silly for packing his lunch in a different box, we talked about it. Every day, even if the lunchbox is the same, there are different contents. Some days, even the lunchboxes will be different.  Such is life.

The classroom you are in today is not the very same as it was on the first day of school.  Every day is different, every day will change.  Expect it, be prepared for it and know that change is life. Every day you are taller, stronger and smarter. Every single day, you are less of a boy and more of a man.

This conversation lead me to question, is there anything in his life that won’t change? There is truly only ONE thing.  The one thing that will always stay the same is my love for him. No matter what, no matter how naughty he was or how I was feeling about life or my day, I would always always always love him to the moon and back.

As the Jewish proverb says, “G-d could not be everywhere, so he created mothers.” A mother’s love is unending, undying, unconditional. The only constant in one’s life. So get used to everything else changing kid, because NO MATTER WHAT, I love you lots.