A Letter by Joey’s Mom
—written by Mary Ann
“Where do I begin a narrative of Joey and his wife Candice to express how I already know they will be ideal parents together?
Joey is our firstborn son. He shares the name of his father, Joe, who has unfortunately been lost along with my second-born and middle child, Johnny when they were struck by a wrong-way driver in a DWI incident five years ago. That moment changed our lives forever, and as a result, we tend to think of life before and after that tragic event, measuring our love and strength, losses and gains, views and perspectives, and what lies ahead in our future.
Joey stepped up to the plate like no one could imagine. His exceptional leadership was remarkable in the days, months, and years following our loss. It still is.
Joey always had a very close relationship with everyone in the family. He was always attentive and protective of his siblings, Johnny and Amy. He has consistently shown great maturity and concern for his brother and sister, making him an ideal parent. Despite his hectic job schedule and social commitments, Joey found the time to give them one-on-one time.
Johnny and Amy faced medical challenges and Joey provided them with a friendship that was second to none. As young adults, their greatest enjoyment was Joey coming to the house to hang out with them, play cards, sing karaoke, jam alongside their father with their guitars and keyboard as the whole family sang and exchanged many stories.
Joey was raised in a loving home surrounded by abundant culture, travel, music, literature, ethnic culinary immersion, and sports. His extended family is very large with many relatives and cousins who live in places such as Honolulu, San Diego, Oregon, Texas, Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, Long Island, London, Florence, Bari, Italy, and even Barbados. This explains a lot of our travels as a family and Joey’s exposure to other cultures.
Joey developed his love of music (piano and guitar) and sports from his father and his love of museums, traveling, and cooking from me. Joey also speaks Italian. He had the best of both worlds, which is why he will parent with the same worldly influence, love, and zeal he was exposed to.
Everyone who meets Joey likes him. He has a large circle of friends and possesses exceptional communication skills. It is not surprising that Joey excels at work in the area of helping people grow and develop to reach their full potential. He will do the same for the child he will be adopting someday.
When Candice came into the family, we were on the cusp of the pandemic, and getting to know her came in the form of many texts and FaceTime chats. Through these conversations, we could see that Candice held many of the same values as Joey. Together, they are a great team. They share the same career ambitions in addition to their shared world of retail business and managerial fitness positions.
Equally devastated by our loss, Candice became a pillar of strength for Joey. They were dating then, but Candice was willing to do anything to help. Their marriage was a testament to their love for each other. Candice has taken on a familial role in her quest to make our loss a mission in her own life to honor Joe and Johnny like they were her own family members. She’s hugely supportive of Joey.
Candice and I have a similar holistic approach to health and nutrition, which makes sharing recipes, shopping lists, and home remedy treatments mutually interesting. She enjoys learning everything about nutrition and medicine and practices what she preaches. Natural healing has always been a priority in our family, and she aligns with her philosophies.
Candice is a strong woman with loyal tendencies; she’s sensitive but very logical, intelligent, and uses common sense in her thinking and actions — awarenesses that are important in passing onto children. She will be an excellent mother, providing behavioral boundaries and expectations, critical thinking, and love and support — all healthy parenting skills that foster security, merit, and self-assurance.
It’s heartwarming to think about how much happiness Joey and Candice will feel when they are selected by birth parents and given the chance to adopt a baby. My son and daughter-in-law will undoubtedly provide the child they adopt with all the love and care he or she could ever need, ensuring their upbringing is one of responsibility, culture, and kindness. Joey and Candice will enrich his/her life in ways that are beyond imagination.”
–Mary Ann, Joey’s Mother
