#josie duggar sisterhood

[wtffundiefamilies]

Speaking of growing up fast, I can’t believe this little chaos gremlin is only a year away from adulthood!

[keepingupwithfundies]

Out of the Duggars, definitely Jill. She's so spirited and is all about collegiate life even now.

Out of the Bates, I think Erin and Josie would join for status. Alyssa would join so she could network (in my mind she's a business major). And Carlin would join for the activities on campus and sisterhood.

Anon I'm curious to know what you would've thought since you're closer to the culture than I am! -Suz

[wtffundiefamilies]

Also in my notes for years.  Also would’ve loved to know what’s going on here.  Man, I miss when this show was just “what are these incredibly fertile weirdos up to now?”

[wtffundiefamilies]

I have so many gifsets in my notes from literal years ago; I remember this one because I remember spotting this moment that lasts about a second and wondering what in the fuck is going on here and honestly?  It still keeps me up at night.  Jackson is only eating a giant iceberg wedge and fries?  Is there a reason they got him a whole-ass burger to leave on the table next to his plate?  One of those minor Duggar whats that I don’t think anyone else ever noticed but haunts me.  

[wtffundiefamilies]

Justin, the 19 Kids and Counting days

[wtffundiefamilies]

Happy 30th, Jill.  Good news is, this decade usually sucks way less than your 20s.  

I went to the TWoP forum archive to see if I could find a post I made one night a dozen or so years ago.  If it’s been archived, I can’t figure out how to access it.  Not important.  Partly because no one, least of all you, will read this (or care if they/you do).  Partly because I remember what I said, more or less.

It was when you were considering pursuing nursing as a career for a hot second, before deciding on midwifery.  I considered, not for the first time, what a waste of potential the majority of your family has been.  Not because motherhood isn’t worthwhile or difficult or feminist, but because none of us really believed that you were being given a choice.  

And I think you’ve essentially confirmed that was true.

Your family loved to brag about how they put Jesus first, others second, themselves last.  They trained you all like a bunch of seals to bark the phrase out on command.  But nearly all of your siblings obediently repeated it, then went back to being entitled, demanding, destructive and lazy.  

Not you, though.  

My father had a saying he liked; “What am I going to believe, you or my own eyes?”  I usually watched your family with the sound off (your parents have the most annoying voices in Christendom), and it wasn’t hard to notice whose eyes were dead and whose smiles were fake.  It wasn’t hard to notice that while your family goofed off on mission trips, you were genuinely interested in connecting with people.  90% of your family seemed pissed off to not have a hot shower; I sincerely believed that you would’ve given up some of your own privileges and excesses in your own life if it meant you could’ve brought your friend, who wished so desperately to come to the US, home with you.  I don’t agree with your family’s brand of mission work, but I think you believed in it, not to curry favor with God or advertisers, but to better lives.  And as a kid, it’s not like you could be blamed for your family’s brand of toxic evangelism.  I still find your beliefs and practices abhorrent, but I believe in your case they at least come from a good place, rather than a selfish one.

When you brought up service-oriented career goals, I was genuinely sad to realize that no matter how good your intentions were, you’d be married and pregnant long before you made it through nursing school.  And it seemed like it would be a waste of the rare Duggar who genuinely believed that helping others, even if it meant sacrificing their own comfort, was important.  I believed you had the potential to make a big difference for people who needed whatever you decided you could offer them, and it seemed like such a waste for you to be stuck in a family who only saw a woman’s value in her uterus.

I was so right about that immense potential to make a difference.  You’re already doing it.  It’s not what I envisioned, and probably not what you envisioned, but...men plan, God laughs.  

You’re better off without them; you’re better without them.  I’m glad you see your own worth.  You are enough.  Without your famous parents, your eighteen siblings, your (stolen) TLC paychecks.  Without 12 theoretical kids you can’t emotionally care for.  Yeah, your ministry was a trainwreck, but at least you tried something.  And your husband may be a dbag who sticks his nose in your business constantly and bullies queer people on social media, but he’s on your side.  

Putting yourself first when it’s necessary is the one part of JOY they conveniently never mention.  I’m glad you finally figured it out.

...any chance, though, you can smuggle Johannah, Jennifer and Jordyn into your home next time you’re in the neighborhood?  (Josie will be fine; I’m 90% sure she can take JimBob in a fistfight.)

[wtffundiefamilies]

Happy birthday Jill.  I hope this is the year crappy people stop taking advantage of you.  PS the short hair looks rad.

[wtffundiefamilies]

Might as well post these on their own.  JimBob said he thought they should take the kids to a diner he used to enjoy.  Michelle’s face did this.

[wtffundiefamilies]

I promised myself I wouldn’t make any jokes about them looking like a young lesbian couple visiting their child.

Oops, just did.

[wtffundiefamilies]

Happy 16th Jackson!  I hope this year treats you well.   

[wtffundiefamilies]

Remember that time Josh tried to convince us that not having a reliable income was an advantage, and Anna looked like she was wondering how big a mistake she’d made marrying this guy?  

[wtffundiefamilies]

Classic Duggar show moment 7/?? - that time Michelle actually seemed happy and relaxed hanging out with her kids.  She even dropped the drippy baby voice.  Really makes you wonder what parenthood would’ve been like for her if she’d had a sane amount of kids, was able to afford doing things she really enjoyed with them, and didn’t run with a crowd that declared pets to be idols.  She seemed really excited to share this with her kids.

[wtffundiefamilies]

Remember when Josh thought the biker lesbian look was a good one for him?

It wasn’t.

[wtffundiefamilies]

Classic Duggar show moment 43/???:  Nope.

[wtffundiefamilies]

Classic Duggar show moment 42/???:  Joy vs. the Van de Graaff generator.