Even though I am not as privileged as these girls to have known Josh for several years, I will love and miss him always. Everyone who came in contact with him was touched by his generosity and love of life. You could search the rest of your life and never find another person like Josh. He was always true to his friends and true to himself.
Until Amanda came to my college this year, I hadn’t seen Josh since middle school. But in just a few months, I felt like I’d known him for years. He was there for me this year when life seemed to turn upside down. A few of his kind and gentle words could have cured any problem thrown my way. He always saw the good in everything. Josh, you changed my life forever. I love you.
Josh came to visit Quinnipiac earlier this year. We both thought the other looked really familiar but couldn’t place it. We eventually figured out we were in the same ‘pod’ in sixth grade. I had Mr. Domain and he had (I don’t remember her name – something with an F) some 30-something red headed teacher who I hear had twins the year after we left. Sorry tangent. Anyway we were in Amanda and Kristine’s room hanging out and for all of you who knew Josh, you knew he had this weird but awesome obsession with people’s belly buttons. So all that night while we all hung out together and remembered Emmaus and middle school and compared stories with mutual friends from Allentown, he would randomly poke at my belly button. First this took me by surprise and then I was like ‘well ok, so the kid likes belly buttons’. I’m not one to tell people to doing what they enjoy. So I am supposedly known to some of Amanda and Kristine’s roomies as ‘belly button girl’. I like that a lot actually. A little weird to be known for, but that’s what makes it so special. I thought that you could really only be connected to your mother by a belly button, but nope josh somehow made my belly button his J. Josh, you were always original and fun. I will miss our talks and you always poking at my stomach.
Love always and forever,
Mary (MJ) (belly-button girl)