The Famous "Inside Out" Sweatshirt

 I never would’ve guessed that a silly, late night Temu purchase could ripple into something so meaningful for our family.

I was scrolling one day and came across a cute crewneck sweatshirt for Sophia. It featured all the characters from Inside Out 2 with the words, “Today I Feel…” splashed across the front, surrounded by every bright, colorful emotion. It was one of those impulse buys... cute, harmless, forgettable.

Or so I thought.

When it arrived, I put Sophia in it to go pick up Wyatt from school. The moment Wyatt saw her, he stopped in his tracks. He was completely amazed. He couldn’t stop staring at her sweatshirt, his eyes fixed on the characters like they were something familiar… or important.

Not long after we got home, Sophia spilled juice all over it, so I took it off of her to wash later. Before I could even think twice, it was in Wyatt’s hands.

And it stayed there.

For nearly a week, he carried it with him everywhere... laying it out carefully, studying it, staring at it intently. I eventually had to sneak it away just to wash it. To this day, that sweatshirt still lives close by him, always within reach. Sophia has only worn it that one single time.

Since then, we’ve shown Wyatt both Inside Out movies. He watches them on repeat... over and over again, day after day. I’ve never seen someone so captivated by a movie before. It isn’t just watching; it’s absorbing.

Lately, he lays Sophia’s sweatshirt out flat and takes my hand. He points my finger to each character, one by one, and has me name them in order. If I’m too slow, he grows increasingly agitated. And when I finally finish? There’s a visible sigh of relief. Like something inside him has settled. He asks me to do this at least twice a day.

I often find myself wondering... will we ever know why this movie has such a deep hold on him? Is it the bright colors? The clear, distinct characters? Is it helping him make sense of his own emotions in a way words never could? Or is it something even deeper... something we may never fully understand?

Every day, I find myself wishing I could take just one peek inside my sweet boy’s brain. To see what he sees. To understand what he understands. To know what brings him so much comfort in those colorful little emotions.

In a world that often asks kids to adapt to it, I’m learning how powerful it is to let the world adapt to him... to slow down, to name the characters again, to sit in his rhythm instead of rushing him into mine.

Wyatt experiences the world in his own beautiful way. And if a movie about emotions helps him feel safe, seen, or regulated, then that’s not something to question or fix. It’s something to honor.  

So I’ll keep pointing, naming, repeating. Because sometimes understanding doesn’t come from answers... it comes from meeting someone exactly where they are.