Coffee – then adulting.

It’s 10:30 p.m. My son peers out of his room (where he should be asleep) and asks, “Mom, have you ever made a mistake in life?”

I think I’m about to have another existential conversation with a very curious 7-year-old. I mean, this is the same kid who asked me if I liked “being a parent or a kid more” while we shopped for frozen pizzas. That was not something I was prepared to answer. I was just trying to decide on cheese vs. pepperoni, thin crust vs. thick crust. Not sure I was prepared to explain the complexities of aging and paying bills in Aisle 9.

I guess I could have used it as a learning experience. I would’ve tried to explain in some half-ass fashion how choosing a pizza is more complicated. As a parent, you have to consider cost, ingredients, and shelf life, etc. As a kid, you get to decide on cheese or pepperoni – and then reap the rewards of that choice.

When you’re caught off guard, you don’t have time to plan out your response. I’m not one of those moms you see in a PBS kids’ show. And I’m no Danny Tanner from Full House. I can’t do thoughtful responses on the fly. I need more time.

Before I lose my own train of thought – back to the birds.

He points to my blue T-shirt. It shows the popular TV personality Bob Ross painting birds over a mistake in his art. The phrase reads: “Ever make mistakes in life? Let’s make them birds.”

I’ve made plenty of mistakes, that’s for sure. If only we had the choice of painting over them with birds rather than owning up to them all.

I didn’t say this to him, but simply replied, “of course.”

This kid has a knack for asking random questions about life. He would probably make a good philosophy professor one day. For now, it’s bedtime, which I am sure I’ve reminded him about a dozen times.

I’ll think of a good response while I fall asleep, so I can be prepared for the next random question.