The Seltzer in the Fridge

Sometimes what looks like misbehavior is actually love in motion — expressed through a brain that doesn’t always move in sync with the moment.

From My Home to Yours: The Seltzer in the Fridge

My son is a deeply emotional kid. When he’s joyful, he radiates happiness. When he’s upset, it’s loud, intense, and immediate. He feels everything in full color — and that includes his need to finish what he starts. Transitions, especially from something he wants to do to something he has to do, are hard. And once his mind locks onto something, it’s nearly impossible to pull him away until it feels complete.

One night at dinner, after what felt like the hundredth reminder to stay seated, I noticed he was up again — this time in the fridge. My patience cracked. I raised my voice, sharply, telling him to get back to the table.

He froze. Then he cried. Loudly.

At first, I thought it was defiance. But it wasn’t.

In his little hand he was holding a grapefruit seltzer. My favorite. He had seen me finish mine and wanted to bring me another one. His brain didn’t register the timing. It didn’t register the repeated instructions. It registered the need to do it now, before the thought slipped away.

What I saw as ignoring was actually a kind of love. He wasn’t trying to disrupt dinner. He was trying to take care of me, in the only way he knew how in that moment.

🔍 What I Learned

Sometimes what looks like disobedience is a child’s way of showing care — filtered through impulsivity, urgency, or emotional intensity. My frustration was real. But so was his intention.

💡Why This Stuck With Me

Because underneath the big emotions, my son has an even bigger heart. When I slow down and look past the behavior, I often find something beautiful waiting to be seen.