raised that way. Even as we were growing up, he was responsible for Cherie and me. And he took all the pressures and responsibilities of being an older brother in stride. Whether it was trying to get us to clean up after ourselves or waking us all up to go to bed after we fell asleep in the living room, he has always taken his responsibility for supporting us seriously and has done a good job at it. As Joojo has gotten older, he has become more and more cerebral and observant. His knack for analyzing people and situations to understand them has grown deeper and more structured. As you talk to him you can almost always see the gears in his head churning, taking in whatever info you are giving him and processing it. Whereas when he was younger he would quickly respond, as he’s gotten older he has become more of a listener. Joojo is most influenced by his immediate family. Most importantly his wife and children and his extended family. When he’s not by himself, he spends the most time with them. Even when they are not with him, he is thinking about them. He also takes their opinions very seriously, often asking them for their point of view and sometimes forgoing what he wants to do at the time for what he knows would accommodate them. This is his way of showing his love and such compromises on his part are frequently noticed and reciprocated. I’ve been most proud as Joojo has excelled in his academics and as he has transformed that love for learning and teaching into a career leading young people in an academic environment. I will be very proud when his 1st book comes out this year. 29 The Birthday Journal
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