this post makes me happy and sad all at the same time. don't know quite why yet but maybe i'll figure it out once i tell the story. brody is 12 (yes, i know, pretty crazy how that happened already!) and getting into those teenage years. but even with all the changes coming up for him, he has remained this sweet-hearted kid. i know i'm his mom and maybe slightly objective, but the pride i feel for my boy has never been proven more than from a story i heard last weekend.

i was at a bridal shower and the mother-of-the-groom introduced herself and said she recognized me from the school. after chatting for a few minutes, i found out her grandson was in the same class as brody. this boy has been adopted by his grandma and permantly lives with her in yankton. i remember this kid, quiet, shy and seemed like he had no self-esteem. this lady continued to tell me he is transferring to another school in a small town outside of yankton. he just couldn't take the bigger schools and the teasing he endured. i guess kids teased him for living with his grandma and not his mom. he was teased for being "different", his food would get stolen at lunch, he would come home crying. my heart just fell for this boy. she mentioned some of the kids that did the teasing. i knew all of them. i was angry at them inside. then she said how austin talks about brody to this day. austin said brody was one of the only kids that was nice to him. he liked brody because he always said hi to him in the hallway. my heart swelled with pride and the tears welled up (as they are now).

i went home and told brody how his actions impacted this kid probably for the rest of his life. austin will always remember the few positives even amongst all the negative. brody made some mighty fine choices without his parents around making sure he was being nice. he did this one on his own. to me, that shows a lot about him. yet, i feel bad for austin. i hate the idea that some kids think teasing is cool. i hope the smaller school will be good for austin because he deserves the same respect as any other kid. it was a life lesson for my son and he knew it. so, again, i can never be more proud of brod-man yet am sad for the child who is being forced to switch schools because of the actions of others. i just hope and pray for his happiness this coming year. and i hope and pray that my soon-to-be-teenager will stay on the right path, even with all the temptations that will come before him.

love ya, brody...