Joseph

Joseph is 12. His many talents include sleeping in “late” (still awake by 7a), building intricate Lego fortresses (but being unable to make his bed), memorizing historical facts (but not his Catechism), and being Lucy’s favorite person in the universe.

He spends a good deal of his time playing with Lucy. He holds her in a sloppy spaghetti type of way and practices his tap dance moves while singing her songs and coining new phrases for their friendship. “The Little One Step” is the dance move that pleases Lucy best, and so Joseph will hit repeat for the better part of 30 minutes for this loud, stomping routine. While this might feel distressing to type and is all sorts of obnoxious for his other siblings, LUCY ADORES JOSEPH and his ability to get on her level. Babies love repetition and she is, almost 100% of the time, soothed by Joseph’s confidence. I often turn to Joseph when Lucy is dissatisfied with me. So, while he refuses to clean bathrooms because of his aversion to germs (and the agents to rid the bathroom of germs), Joseph will babysit Lucy for the same amount of time, allowing ME to get my work done. This is a lifesaver for me…and our entire family benefits. I have come to rely on him heavily, and he rises to the occasion. When Joseph helps the family with Lucy, I see glimpses of the man he is becoming. He is delightful and gentle, unselfish and attentive. Lucy brings out the best in him, and I am blessed to be able to witness it now, in this space.

                I remember someone once telling me that the greatest gift a parent could ever give a teenager is a baby. A baby never cares if you’re having a bad day, or if your pimples are raging, or if you didn’t get all your algebra questions right. A baby is unconditional love. 

Homeschooling allows me to be front and center, observing and pondering the growth in Joseph. I know what a blessing it is for him to be able to figure the world out in a safe place, surrounded by love. I know what a blessing it is for me to be able to witness these moments. I know how special the ability to homeschool is. I do not take one day of it for granted, challenging as it may be sometimes. I know that these times will not last forever. Someday soon, Joseph will outgrow the learning environment here and will choose to broaden his horizons. I will rejoice for him when that happens, as that is our goal: to raise independent humans. 

But, for right now, I will soak in the joy of having our (sometimes) dependent Joseph with us here. I will look for opportunities to show him love. I will thank God for the blessing of our first-born son and the beauty he brings to our world.

I love you, Joseph. Forever and always. Unconditionally.