As a parent, you warn your kids about the dangers of the world.  Hopefully, they grow up safe and sound, after heeding your good advice. I had managed to do just that, I raised three boys to their mid-twenties and they are good men.  I proudly passed on my sense of humor and sarcastic outlook on life to them. I was not aware that I had passed on one other thing. 

The idea that if you are upset with or mad about something, you share that with your siblings. Especially if you are suffering due to something your parents did or said. Misery does love company.

So here is my little tale of inappropriate texting gone wrong. Ironically one of the many dangers I had warned them about. However, this episode I was responsible for, not the boys.

My husband and I own a boat, a small cabin cruiser, we take out every weekend. It's a place to get away from everything and everybody.  Just the two of us having a good time and relaxing.  It's a great big bay so we often enjoy part of our day sans swimsuits. There is no one around for miles so we can enjoy that freedom. One day I thought it would be amusing to snap a few pictures of my husband without him noticing. Yes, this was the beginning of a series of unfortunate events.

After arriving home from the boat I decided to text a picture to my husband. I thought it was a funny one. He was fishing and while not a full on the front shot it was obvious he was not wearing a bathing suit. I chose the picture and hit send.

It was summer and two of our three boys were home one from college on break. It was a quiet Sunday night and son number two was in his room. Not long after I sent my husband that text I hear my son yelling WTF from his room and then come storming out. Holding his cell phone in front of me I can plainly see the photo I thought I had sent my husband.

On my phone, due to their names starting with A and B they are right after one another. I had not noticed I had chosen the wrong recipient. My son continued to rail. He expressed that he was happy we were obviously getting along, but what the hell was I thinking. It did not help that I started to laugh. I tried to apologize and thought that was the end of my mistake.

I was wrong. Later my husband, son number one and I were watching television in the family room. My son's phone rang and I could hear his end of the conversation. It was his fiance calling.

I heard my son saying, "Yes my parents were out on their boat this weekend. No, I didn't send you any pictures. No, I don't know what you're talking about." 

At this point, she forwarded my son the picture I had accidentally texted my other son. Of course, number one son showed me and I hear those words again, "WTF Mom?" 

I assured him I did not send her that picture but had to admit I had accidentally sent it to his brother. He called out number two son to find out what the hell was going on. Son number two's explanation was; that if he had to see that picture then his brother was going to have to suffer the same fate. 

A little backstory is in order here. My son had recently gotten a new cell phone but not all his previous contacts had been transferred successfully, including his brother's. When he decided to forward that picture he had not yet added his brother's contact information. His only option then was to look for any calls he had received from him. He chose the last message went ahead and texted the fast becoming infamous photo.

The only problem was that the most recent message he had received from his brother came from a group chat. For those of you not in the know ( I was one of those ignorant of such things) it is a group of people you select and can then send one text and they all will get a copy at the same time.

You can see where I am going with this can't you?

The son who got the text first sent it not just his brother but to an entire group of people. This particular group was everyone who was going to be in the wedding party of son number one. 

That is the story of how my son's wedding party inadvertently saw a photo of my husband fishing au natural.

At the time there was a lot of yelling at me and at son number two about our behavior. Mine for even taking that picture, sending it and my son for forwarding it. Everyone eventually calmed down and son number one was able to reasonably explain to his finance how she ended up having to see that photo.

We eventually got over the entire episode. It is now seen as a very funny series of unfortunate events and we all laugh about it. Son number two also tries not to share unfortunate things with his brother. But at the time he really followed the philosophy of "Misery Loves Company".

At times my life with three sons has unfolded like an episode of a sit-com. You can't make this stuff up. It has made a life that is anything but boring.

I can share that my oldest son has been happily married for almost three years to the same recipient of that photo and that my other two sons are productive, good young men, only slightly scarred from having me as their Mother.