Calvin and Hobbs with Collin

After Aaron fell asleep during book time, Collin and I snuggled and paged through The Essential Calvin and Hobbes, A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury by Bill Watterson, a cartoon book I received as a gift from Erin Bovendam in college. She knew that when I was feeling down, Calvin and Hobbes always found a way to make me smile. Collin was also very entertained by this unique young boy and his stuffed friend…and their antics, especially stories about pranks and underwear. After one of the underwear strips he exclaimed, "Mom, I'm laughing so hard that my ribs hurt!"

It was the delight of my week to lie between my sons, one resting peacefully, recovering from a serious illness, and the other laughing, recovering from recent listening challenges.

"Collin...things go so much better if you can listen.
"Dad...I'm like Noah...I'm really trying to do the right thing."

While this wasn’t Collin’s favorite strip, it was the one that captured the essence of his boyhood spirit…his sensitive heart for all things wild.