Sometimes wise beyond his years

Just like everything in life, parenthood is full of constant ups and downs. Some days Ben is really easy to deal with and sometimes he is not. It seems to go in phases which generally last a couple of weeks. When he is sweet, he can be soooo sweet. Right now we are on a down and it's frustrating.
Today has been difficult thus far. Ben has thrown a fit over getting dressed and eating breakfast. He was upset when I wouldn't let him watch a show or have a piece of gum. He wouldn't let me wipe his bum, but refused to do it himself. He kept picking on Jack. It just hasn't been a good day so far.
I ended up sending Ben to the corner, which of course was met with much resistance. His screaming was driving me crazy, so I decided to go in my room and shut the door. I took Jack and laid on my bed for a while then went out and told Ben he could get out of the corner. I then went back in my room and laid on my bed. Normally when we punish Ben we talk to him after the punishment, but I was a loss at to what to say that was different than I had been saying all morning.
Ben came and laid down behind me. He played with my hair, kissed me on the neck, and gave me a hug. I laid there quite and then he initiated a conversation that started with this-

Ben- Mom, we need to talk.
Me- What do we need to talk about?
Ben-I need to tell you that I am sorry and that I love you.

Wow, sometimes Ben amazes me with his understanding of things. Most of the time he is a three year old. Full of surprises and constantly pushing me to be more patient. I have soo much to learn.