Yesterday was Ishu’s first playdate without his mama.

I had a meeting from 5-6pm and Auntie Jenn offered up her home for the boys to play with one another. And spoiled them (and us too with to-go bags!) with blueberry muffins.

At first, I didn’t think Ishu would be into the idea of me dropping him off and peacing out.

When I picked him up from school and asked him if he would be interested in going there (without me), I fully expected him to say, NO WAY JOSE.

And, instead, he said, “OF COURSE I WANT TO GO TO MAX’S HOUSE. HE’S MY BEST BUDDY.”

He stayed for dinner and Auntie Jenn somehow got him to eat three pieces of asparagus. What?

And he came back in happy spirits, exhausted from the fun time he had with his best bud.

I was going to title this post, “Ishu’s Playdate Milestone,” but the thing is…

I think this is a little bit a milestone for me too.

Feeling so grateful to have friends we can call family. Friends that I trust with my heart.

I’m working through a lot of my own anxieties in therapy. And I think the response I anticipated from Ishu was actually how *I* was feeling internally. The fact that this little boy was so happy and confident and excited about this experience makes me realize that he is his own human.

And I gotta do some real hard work to not push my own shit onto him.

I’m working on it.

And, in the mean time, I’m grateful for therapy. Grateful for friends who stop me mid-monologue to say, “ARE YOU LISTENING TO THE WAY YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT YOURSELF?”

Just feeling really grateful today.

Yesterday was a milestone day.

For him.

And for me too.