Author Information
"Shades of Heaven"
Shades of Heaven {Josh's Smile}
A day celebrated in Red
colored by fire and love
yet this Valentine's Day
will always be remembered
in Shades of Heaven
the passing of a beautiful young man
through gates painted white with warmth
Only fitting that we gather as family
on an evening shaped in the beauty of a heart
and now,
forever carved in the precious memory
of Josh's smile.
Seventeen years
and this coach was blessed with nine of them
Never enough
Not ever enough
but I was lucky to have so much more
than a field of dreams
I had the gift
of friendship
love
respect
The Gift of Josh.
I believe he was born with wings
and for reasons why
which we struggle to find
God brought him home Sunday morning to fly.
Tomorrow we plant the seeds of an Angel
to grow
to spread
to soar
This world with beautiful
and in every spring and summer night
when you see a young person make a catch
a throw
get a big hit
Take a look at the glow in the air
you'll see something special
The Wings of an Angel
wrapped around their smile
yes,
You'll see Josh
he's beautiful.
BG
I went home to Dawn's last weekend, on Sunday morning
I got one of those phone calls that start out with the
dreaded "I've got bad news" Josh had died in a car wreck just before 1am that morning... Josh was 17, and very special... I was his first baseball coach when he was 9, he soaked
everything up, you could see it in his eyes, feel it in his heart, and he went on to become one of the area's best catcher and pitcher, but even more than that, Josh was a terrific human being... He use to come over to the house and watch wrestling pay per views, even when I wasn't home LOL I took him one year out of town for sectional all stars because his parents couldn't... He pitched one of the best games of his life in the first game, it was something special to watch... As a coach, you're blessed with many special kids in your life, and then there are some who become a part of your life forever, Josh was one of those... I have been asked to speak at the service tomorrow, it won't be easy, I hope they have patience for my tears... *on a sidenote, I did speak, there were over a thousand people at the church service for Josh, I did speak, it still brings tears, quite a testament to how much he meant, and means to so many to the surrounding community that over a thousand people showed up to pay their respects to one of the finest young men I have ever known... Stay with me Josh, I love You...
