21

21 reasons why I love this kid:

• Josh has a mischevious grin that always makes me smile. (And admittedly, drives me a little crazy sometime.)
• Josh is so laid back that it makes him so pleasant and easy to be around.
• Josh has a love of music that touches my life. Music has always been so important to me and him sharing that with me, makes it even more special. Some of the greatest gifts he has given me have been the "gift of music."
• Josh is a very spiritual person and seems to see the things that matter most in life.
• After falling down, Josh always gets back up - no matter how difficult. That is courage! He has had numerous trials in life that could cause him to give up but instead, he always gets up and tries again or tries harder. This makes me very proud! I think this single trait might be one of his most important because I know how hard life can be. If he continues this, I know he will be alright in the long run. We will all have trials in life and make mistakes. But it is those people who get back up, keep trying and learn from their mistakes, that will truly succeed in life.
• Josh is very caring of others. He has always been protective of me as his mother and is always worried about how I feel. It was also fun to see how much he cared about people in his mission. Although he was with them a short time, he still deeply cares for alot of those families. It's been especially fun to see him with this little, old man that was one of his investigators. He was so good to Josh and took him under his wing. It's so special to see Josh return that love and caring for this special man.
• Josh is alot of fun to be around! He loved to organize fun events with his friends and continues that with our family. He loves to be part of the action and being with his family. His sense of adventure often rubs off on the rest of us.
• Josh has developed quite a sense of humor and often brings a smile to my face with his funny comments.
• I love that Josh is a hard worker. Although it has not always been happily, Josh has always jumped in to get the work done and can work circles around most kids his age. I am so grateful that his Father taught him this trait because I know it will serve him well in his future.
• I love that Josh is so handsome - it makes a Mother proud. :)
• One thing that is special to me about Josh is his love for my Mother. Josh is probably the only one of my children that will remember much about Grandma. He took her death very hard. In fact, he started a "Grandma" box at the time to collect his memories of her. That was very special to me and has meant alot to know that her memory can live on through him
• I love Josh for his humility. He never thinks he's better than someone else and always has things about himself that he wants to improve on. Another great characteristic that will serve him wel..
• Josh's personality can draw you in. He is very charismatic and that makes you want to spend time with him.
• Josh is one of the most forgiving people I know and for that, I am truly grateful. I am so thankful to him for looking past my shortcomings and for loving me for who I am and who I am trying to be.
• Much to my chagrin, Josh is very independent. I don't think I realized how much so until the last couple of years. Sometimes it makes me sad because I am a control freak and love to "mother." But I now realize it is admirable that he wants to learn for himself. Independence gives him the freedom he needs to "fly." I just have to remember a quote that I love that says "you can have both roots and wings." I like that.
• I love that Josh is a natural leader. Although he doesn't always see it in himself, those of us around him can see his natural tendencies toward leadership and his ability to unite people. I am so proud of him for that.
• I love that Josh is a very loyal person.
• I love that Josh is so adaptable. He always has been. I think he had to be since he was our only child for almost 6 years. He just went along with us wherever we went and always handled it well. He pretty much just "goes with the flow," which makes him very easy to be around.
• One of the easiest parts of being Josh's Mom is that he is so easy to please. Josh is not a demanding person at all. He just appreciates what he has and rarely asks for more. Sure, there are things he likes, especially music and movies right now. There are also things he dreams about - mainly 4-wheelers and cars, but he doesn't ask for much. He's just grateful for the things he does have and for the opportunities that come his way. I think that's what life is about - finding joy in the blessings we have instead of always wanting something different or searching for more.
• Josh has always been good at building things. Even when he was little, he could put together complicated toys, like Legos. He loved to do that and it would keep him busy for hours. As he got bigger, I've noticed that he can take things apart, figure them out, and put them back together. He seems to enjoy it. As I thought about this, I realized that Josh often does this with his relationships as well. As he's matured, I think he has come to know the importance of relationships. It's fun to see him bond with others and to build his family relationships, too. I'm learning that Josh "sees" more than I ever realized he did. I think he likes to get to know people and learn what really makes them tick. I think that he likes to "figure out" people as well so that he can learn from them. He's been blessed with so many wonderful friends and leaders in his life! Hopefully he will use their good traits as his example to follow.
• My favorite thing about Josh right now is the calming effect he has on me. We have been through some very turbulent times in the past 3 years. It hasn't been pretty. But I will say, that when I can sit down and talk to Josh - actually talk- I get a glimpse of his spirit and it calms me. It sounds strange, but he has been able to do this since I was pregnant with him. He has always brought me a calmness. At this point in my life, when the world is scary and unpredicatble and times are hard, Josh often brings me the serenity I need. I pray every day that he can see his amazing spirit like I can. Because it is truly special!

It's hard to put 21 years worth of feelings and memories, worries and insecurities, joy and love, into words. I will save the details of all those thoughts swirling around in my head for my journal. But at this crossroads in Josh's life, I have to express gratitude - to the Lord for sending me 3 amazing gifts in my life to teach me the lessons only Motherhood could teach me; and to Josh, for sharing this journey with me, for being my "guinea pig," and for being patient with me as I wade through the challenges and lessons and the wonderful blessings of being a Mom.

I love you, Josh! I promise I will try to get better at letting go and give you wings to fly, but like I always tell you - you will always be my baby. :)