Tonight Audrey and Mike had a daddy-daughter date, so I got to spend the evening at home with my three youngest children. We decided to have a few little treats and watch a great movie called "Liar, Liar". Now, if you have seen this movie, you know the premise of it. It is basically about a father/son relationship. The dad is a lawyer (played very well by Jim Carrey) and he is always telling his son they will do things together and then backing out usually because of work. The little boy is devastated every time and feels sad that his dad lies to him all the time. So, on his birthday party he makes a wish that his dad can't tell a lie for a whole day. Well, the wish comes true and throughout a day of funny events, the dad finally comes to the realization that his son is so much more important than his job. He gets fired and runs to the airport to try to catch his son and ex-wife as they fly to Boston to look for a new home. He catches the little boy and at the end of the movie, there is a touching scene between Max and his dad where Fletcher (Jim Carrey) tells Max that he loves him so much and he never wants to be away from him again. Now, being me, I of course blubber at this point in the movie, because I tend to apply fictional movie plots to my own life and think about what I would do in that same situation. Well, I turned over to my son who was sitting next to me, and his little chin was quivering and tears were rolling down his face. I pulled him into a hug and asked what was wrong, and he said, "It's just so sad, Mom." I hugged him and reminded him that now the dad and the boy will get to be together all the time. He nodded his head, wiped his tears and after giving me one more hug, he was fine. It melted my heart. Now, I have only seen my own husband cry a handful of times in our marriage, so I know that Dallin didn't pick up this tender-heart-on-his-sleeve mentality from Mike. He got it from me. And, as proud as I am that Dallin is so much like his dad, there are other men in my life that I want Dallin to be like. First, my own dad, who, like Mike, rarely cries. The other, my brudder. Any of you who know Adam will know that he also has a tender heart. Maybe that is because he was raised by so many doting women, or maybe it's just who he is. As an adult, I haven't seen him cry in a very long time, years in fact. But, I can remember watching many movies as children and seeing him cry when animals or babies were in peril, or things just tugged at the old heart strings. Tonight's experience with Dallin gave me a glimpse into my son's tender heart and the fact that he is a strong, manly, truck-loving, paper-airplane-making, get-your-hands-dirty boy just like his dad was at his age. But, he is also a tender-hearted, artistic, kind, gentle, and sensitive boy as well, just like his Papa and his wonderful uncle Adam. I am so grateful that my children have such a good mix of both my side and Mike's. I love all my kids, but there's definitely something special about my one and only son. Sons hold such a special place in their mom's heart. I can only hope that he continues to be such a loving, kind man as he grows up. As long as he keeps getting teary-eyed at tender movies, I won't have to worry! 
