Last night, as I was winding down for the evening, my phone rang with a familiar and cherished ritual: a bedtime video call, this time from my 3-year-old grandson, Ollie. Most nights, it’s a simple goodnight, maybe a sleepy smile, or a story about his day. But last night was a little different.

Ollie Jude greeted me with the biggest grin and a pizza-shaped toy guitar slung over his shoulder. With the help of his mommy, he launched into a heartfelt rendition of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.” The lyrics weren’t perfect, but the love behind them was.

I practically melted when he sang, “You’ve got troubles, I’ve got ’em too. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”

Ollie doesn’t know the depth of those words yet. But in that moment, I saw a glimpse of the kind of friend and brother he is becoming – tenderhearted, ready to connect, and filled with love even in the midst of uncertainty.

You see, Ollie is in a season of big change. His baby brother is arriving soon, and the house is buzzing with preparations, emotions, and questions. His mommy is on bedrest, has already done a hospital stay 2 hours away from home and has extra appointments. Things aren’t “normal” and he notices.

The night before Ollie Jude’s serenade, he and I had a special talk about his place in all of this. I reminded him that he is uniquely blessed: he gets to be both little brother to Harry and big brother to the new baby. He considered it quietly… then decided that maybe, just maybe, that might be okay.

Isn’t that like all of us? When life shifts, and our roles evolve, we just need someone to remind us of who we are… and how loved we still are. Ollie needed that reminder. And, through his song, he reminded me that no matter how old we get, we all need to hear: You’ve got a friend in me.

Proverbs 17:17 tells us that “a friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Brothers, sisters, grandsons, friends – God places people in our lives to walk with us through change, to sing over us in love, and to help us see the joy in our new seasons.

Last night, Ollie was that kind of friend to me, a small voice with a toy guitar, reminding me that love shows up, sometimes with a pizza guitar, but always right on time.