When you have a large to do list staring you in the face, and you don’t know where to start, do what I did today:

1. Go outside with your son and grab a baseball and two baseball gloves.
2. Play catch in the front yard for a whole hour (!) while talking about the summer so far, the upcoming school year, his friends, our past and present pets, and any other positive memories he wants to talk and laugh about.
3. Let him go play when the neighbor kids ask him if he can.
4. Give him a big hug.
5. Go back inside, sit down, ice down my shoulder, and turn on the TV, knowing that the to do list will always be there, but moments like that with Murphy won’t.