Today, Joseph would have turned 18. I’ve thought a lot about what today should have looked like. There would have been a suit hanging on the back of his door from last night’s prom. He’d be counting down the days to graduation, tossing his cap in the air, celebrating all he had accomplished. Maybe we’d be talking about move-in day for college, what he’d need for his dorm, what he was most excited—and nervous—about. Instead, I’m sitting here trying to put into words just how much I miss my son. Joseph left us far too soon But in his six short years, he showed us what it meant to live with joy, courage, and love. And even though we didn’t get to see him grow into the incredible young man we know he would have been, I feel his presence every day—in quiet moments, in theceords of a Beatles song, in memories that still make us laugh, and most of all in the love he left behind. I know he’s still with us. I see it in the way he watches over Jack and Grace. I feel it in the way they carry his spirit forward—with their curiosity, their strength, their hearts. I wish so badly we were celebrating him today with cake, laughter, and all the proud tears that come with a milestone like this. He should be here. He deserves to be here. And though we’ll never stop aching for what could have been, we’ll also never stop loving him, remembering him, and honoring him Happy 18th Birthday, my beautiful, beautiful boy. (fb)

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