My earliest memories of Josue Galan are sitting with him in the Mac lab at Walla Walla University and talking about almost anything other than the homework the two of us should have been doing. Over the course of that time he must have asked me out at least five times. I brushed him off each time, thinking that he was just joking around. (If any of you know Josue at all, you know his default setting for any uncomfortable situation is to smile and laugh.) Well, it's good for him that “he is a persistent little bugger, especially for a two cylinder.”* His persistence paid off finally with a date and after a little more time spent together I started to see that here was someone I could envision spending the rest of my life with.
Many days Josue will ask me why I picked him, what do I see in him that keeps me hanging around. That persistence I mentioned is a good place to start. He decided to get to know me and didn't give up even though it took a while for me to see the light. Josue is also persistent with his other friendships. He will go to great lengths to stay in touch with a friend, no matter the time it's been since he last spoke with them or how far away they live. I admire that and want to implement that in my own life. He is also persistent in solving a problem or learning a new skill. There are many things that he has taught himself to do, like greasing brake bearings, and he is constantly looking for opportunities to learn and add to his list of skills.
Watching how Josue treats other people gives the best insight into why I picked him. He is an incredibly selfless and giving person. There are many times he has bought something that he would enjoy having himself and given it away to a friend because he would rather see them enjoy it. If anyone asks him for help of any kind, he is quick to say yes and make sure the situation is taken care of. The jobs he held in college usually put him in the position of helping others. In the Mac lab, he would cheerfully assist with printer issues, give feedback on projects in progress, and help bewildered students figure out where they actually saved their assignments. There are many times that he has told me that he really doesn't work to get paid, he works because helping others is his reward. That attitude of serving is so special and rare, it's something I want our children to see and emulate.
Speaking of our children, it's Father’s Day and I want to share just how much I appreciate Josue as a dad. When we first decided that we were ready to have kids we both agreed that we wanted family to be watching/raising them as much as possible. Josue also expressed concern over whether he could even be a good dad since he didn't have much of a relationship with his own father growing up. As it turned out, Josue’s job ended when Ben was 5 months old and he has been a stay-at-home dad ever since. It has been the biggest blessing for our family in many ways. First of all, it has given him so much time to bond with Ben. There are stories on this blog that show the intimate moments they have shared and it is so amazing to see how much they love each other. Josue is loving and kind to Ben, but also gives him the boundaries that I would have a harder time enforcing if I was the one home all the time.
Another outcome of Josue being home is that he is a way better home manager (sounds better than househusband, don't you think?) than I am. He does dishes, vacuums, does laundry, picks up messes and clutter and that's just the inside stuff. Since Ben was born, he has also landscaped and barked an area for a playset, as well as staining said playset. He has put in countless hours working on two 48 Plymouths as well as maintaining the Jeeps. Josue built a storage shed in the backyard, helped take out the fence on both sides of our property, rototilled the front and back yards to put in new grass and a garden space, and the list goes on.
Having Josue at home means that I always know what new things are going on in Ben’s and now Joey’s lives. It means that if one of the kids is sick there is someone home to take care of them. There is only one work schedule to figure out when we take a trip. I can come home at lunch to see my whole family and they can come visit me on breaks at work some days. The boys are learning the morals and life skills that we both feels are so important. Josue spending time at home has benefited us all and I hope it can continue for a while.
There are many others things I can say about why I love Josue and what a great person he is, but I will leave that for part two. Most of all I want to say “Thanks!” This family is truly blessed to have you.
*If you don't get the reference, please watch the movie Cars.
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