The Marker

We were slow in making decisions regarding a marker to place at Josh's grave. We wanted to get it just right as it really was 'set in stone'. We had chosen a picture to have etched; it was one that was taken while he was doing a service project with the other scouts. We had decided to keep the format simple, his name, the dates, and then a tribute..."Forever loved by family and friends." We received the 'proof' in an email from Bott's Memorial that we were pleased with, but we sat on it, just wishing there was something we could add that was more personal, more Josh-like. It was during this time, about three months after he passed away, that I finally emptied his school backpack. While thumbing through all his papers, I found a worksheet that asked this question, "List four words that you would want people to use to describe you when you die." There in his beautiful cursive handwriting were the words, "kind, funny, smart, and loving."