My_DPS two-year-old-nephew_NN1 got_VVD me_PNP through_PRP a_AT0 difficult_AJ0 time_NN1 in_PRP the_AT0 middle_NN1 of_PRF my_DPS doctorate_NN1 program_NN1 ._SENT During_PRP this_DT0 time_NN1 ,_PUN I_PNP was_VBD in_PRP a_AT0 constant_AJ0 state_NN1 of_PRF anxiety_NN1 because_CJS I_PNP was_VBD afraid_AJ0 that_CJT I_PNP was_VBD going_VVG to_TO0 fail_VVI ._SENT I_PNP was_VBD exhausted_AJ0 and_CJC completely_AV0 drained_VVN ._SENT Then_AV0 I_PNP went_VVD home_AV0 to_TO0 be_VBI with_PRP my_DPS family_NN1 for_PRP Christmas_NN1 ._SENT All_AV0 I_PNP wanted_VVD to_TO0 do_VDI was_VBD stay_VVI at_PRP home_NN1 and_CJC spend_VVB time_NN1 with_PRP my_DPS little_AJ0 nephew_NN1 ._SENT However_AV0 ,_PUN I_PNP did_VDD not_XX0 feel_VVI like_CJS I_PNP could_VM0 time_NN1 off_AVP to_TO0 rest_VVI ._SENT So_AV0 ,_PUN every_AT0 day_NN1 I_PNP went_VVD to_PRP the_AT0 public_AJ0 library_NN1 to_TO0 work_VVI on_PRP my_DPS dissertation_NN1 ._SENT 
My_DPS nephew_NN1 knew_VVD that_CJT I_PNP went_VVD to_PRP the_AT0 library_NN1 every_AT0 day_NN1 to_TO0 work_VVI ._SENT One_CRD morning_NN1 he_PNP asked_VVD me_PNP what_DTQ I_PNP do_VDB for_PRP work_NN1 at_PRP the_AT0 library_NN1 ._SENT Too_AV0 exhausted_AJ0 to_TO0 explain_VVI an_AT0 academic_AJ0 program_NN1 to_PRP a_AT0 toddler_NN1 ,_PUN I_PNP answered_VVD ,_PUN “_NP0 Auntie_NP0 Kate_NP0 reads_VVZ books_NN2 and_CJC writes_VVZ stuff_NN1 ._SENT ”_NP0 
He_PNP paused_VVD for_PRP a_AT0 moment_NN1 ._SENT Then_AV0 he_PNP very_AV0 seriously_AV0 responded_VVN ,_PUN “_NP0 Why_AVQ do_VDB you_PNP read_VVI books_NN2 and_CJC write_VVB stuff_NN1 ?_SENT ”_NP0 I_PNP was_VBD stunned_AJ0 and_CJC speechless_AJ0 ._SENT I_PNP had_VHD no_AT0 answer_NN1 for_PRP him_PNP ._SENT I_PNP had_VHD forgotten_VVN why_AVQ I_PNP was_VBD pursuing_VVG a_AT0 doctoral_AJ0 degree_NN1 in_PRP the_AT0 first_ORD place_NN1 ._SENT All_AV0 I_PNP could_VM0 see_VVI was_VBD my_DPS own_DT0 fear_NN1 of_PRF failure_NN1 ._SENT 
My_DPS nephew’s_NN1 question_NN1 lived_VVN in_PRP the_AT0 back_NN1 of_PRF my_DPS mind_NN1 that_DT0 day_NN1 ._SENT I_PNP was_VBD troubled_AJ0 that_CJT I_PNP could_VM0 not_XX0 answer_VVI it_PNP ._SENT So_AV0 ,_PUN I_PNP decided_VVD to_TO0 rest_VVI for_PRP the_AT0 first_ORD time_NN1 in_PRP two_CRD years_NN2 ._SENT The_AT0 next_ORD day_NN1 I_PNP stayed_VVD home_AV0 ._SENT I_PNP watched_VVD television_NN1 with_PRP my_DPS mother_NN1 and_CJC played_VVD Yahtzee_NP0 with_PRP my_DPS grandmother_NN1 ._SENT My_DPS father_NN1 ,_PUN brother_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC I_PNP played_VVD cards_NN2 ._SENT I_PNP read_VVD books_NN2 to_PRP my_DPS nephew_NN1 ._SENT Little_AV0 by_PRP little_DT0 ,_PUN I_PNP felt_VVD calmer_AJC and_CJC lighter_AJC ._SENT I_PNP returned_VVD to_PRP university_NN1 feeling_NN1 rested_VVD and_CJC with_PRP a_AT0 renewed_AJ0 sense_NN1 of_PRF purpose_NN1 ._SENT All_DT0 of_PRF this_DT0 came_VVD to_TO0 pass_VVI thanks_NN2 to_PRP a_AT0 poignant_AJ0 question_NN1 from_PRP a_AT0 small_AJ0 child_NN1 ._SENT 
Our_DPS gospel_NN1 today_AV0 is_VBZ one_PNI with_PRP which_DTQ many_DT0 of_PRF us_PNP are_VBB familiar_AJ0 ._SENT We_PNP often_AV0 relate_VVB to_PRP Mary_NP0 and_CJC Joseph_NP0 in_PRP this_DT0 story_NN1 and_CJC the_AT0 fear_NN1 they_PNP must_VM0 have_VHI felt_VVN as_CJS they_PNP searched_VVD for_PRP their_DPS son_NN1 (_PUL Luke_NP0 2_CRD :_PUN 44_CRD –_PUN 45_CRD )_PUR ._SENT However_AV0 ,_PUN I_PNP often_AV0 think_VVB of_PRF the_AT0 teachers_NN2 and_CJC people_NN0 in_PRP the_AT0 synagogue_NN1 ._SENT They_PNP did_VDD not_XX0 know_VVI who_PNQ Jesus_NP0 was_VBD or_CJC who_PNQ he_PNP would_VM0 become_VVI ._SENT He_PNP was_VBD simply_AV0 a_AT0 young_AJ0 boy_NN1 to_PRP them_PNP ._SENT Yet_AV0 they_PNP recognized_VVD that_CJT this_DT0 child_NN1 had_VHD wisdom_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC they_PNP listened_VVD to_PRP him_PNP (_PUL Luke_NP0 2_CRD :_PUN 47_CRD )_PUR ._SENT 
Children_NN2 can_VM0 surprise_VVI us_PNP ._SENT They_PNP grow_VVB and_CJC change_VVB every_AT0 day_NN1 ,_PUN revealing_VVG their_DPS unique_AJ0 gifts_NN2 and_CJC sharing_VVG their_DPS wisdom_NN1 with_PRP us_PNP ._SENT From_PRP the_AT0 teens_NN2 who_PNQ are_VBB calling_VVG our_DPS attention_NN1 to_PRP climate_NN1 change_NN1 ,_PUN to_PRP the_AT0 littles_NN2 ones_NN2 who_PNQ ,_PUN like_PRP my_DPS nephew_NN1 ,_PUN encourage_VVB us_PNP to_TO0 confront_VVI difficulties_NN2 in_PRP our_DPS lives_NN2 ,_PUN children_NN2 have_VHB so_AV0 much_DT0 to_TO0 teach_VVI us_PNP ._SENT Like_PRP the_AT0 teachers_NN2 in_PRP the_AT0 synagogue_NN1 with_PRP Jesus_NP0 ,_PUN we_PNP should_VM0 take_VVI the_AT0 time_NN1 to_TO0 listen_VVI to_PRP them_PNP and_CJC engage_VVB with_PRP them_PNP ._SENT If_CJS we_PNP do_VDB so_AV0 with_PRP humility_NN1 ,_PUN gentleness_NN1 ,_PUN and_CJC patience_NN1 (_PUL Col._NP0 3_CRD :_PUN 12_CRD )_PUR the_AT0 children_NN2 in_PRP our_DPS lives_NN2 may_VM0 just_AV0 help_VVI us_PNP transform_VVI into_PRP the_AT0 people_NN0 God_NP0 has_VHZ called_VVN us_PNP to_TO0 be_VBI ._SENT 
