Joshua Gaff's Headstone

We are hoping to raise some money to help cover the cost of Joshes headstone.  Here is the preliminary design.



Here is my eulogy:

"My Brother

 
My mother and my father gave me a brother.

An annoying, know-it-all brother.
 

As children, he got away with everything, he was sneaky, conniving, and smart.

I remember the story of how I hit him with a stick, threw myself on the ground, and screamed. Mom ran out and spanked josh for hitting me. But I swear I was only getting back at him for something.


As we grew older, Josh became distant.

He stopped hugging me and allowing me to follow him around.

When it came time for me to start dating, he wanted nothing to do with it.

If I had a fight with a boyfriend, he would never help me. He told me I could handle it on my own.

I remember the time when I found out my first boyfriend cheated on me, I smacked this boy as Josh came around the corner. I looked at him and he just nodded and walked on.

 
As adults, Joshua became my hero.

Being the little sister, I always admired and idolized this man.

I still followed him around and wanted to be let into his group of friends.

He was an incredibly giving, loving, funny man. And I beamed over the man he had become.

Our relationship had finally reached the level that I had always wanted.

The day before I left for Italy, we all went out to dinner as a sort of send-off. When he got his beer set down in front of him, I swirled my finger in it just to make him mad. I proceeded to order two drinks that he stuck his finger in too. When he was handed his burger, I stabbed my finger through the bun when he wasn’t looking. His face was so incredulous when he saw the hole in the top of his burger.

As we left and he realized I had paid for the meal, he called me an asshole.

 
For those of you that knew Josh, you know that this was the way Josh said I love you, he was too “manly” to actually say the words I love you to his sister. But calling me a name was and “I love you” and “I'm proud of you” all wrapped in one.


My mother and my Father gave me a brother.

Just one, incredible, giving, loving brother.


But my brother.

My brother gave me a sister.

And more brothers than I can even count.

My brother gave me my smartass attitude and my ability to make people laugh (although not as successfully as him) .

My brother gave me grief.

And my brother gave me headaches.


But above all else, my brother gave me the brothers and sister, the attitude, and the courage to get over this stupid accident.

If nothing else, at least he went out, living his life to the fullest as he did every day. "