Thank you Susie Mom to Jason 4 ever
JOSHUA EUGENE HEDGLIN
9-13-78 TO 3-16-97
FOREVER THE WIND BENEATH MY WINGS
MY DEAREST JOSHUA,
THE FIRST TIME I SAW YOU,
ALL WE EVER WANTED WAS
HOW COULD I HAVE KNOWN
NOTHING STAYS THE SAME,
I GAVE MY HEART COMPLETELY
FOR THINGS TO STAY THAT WAY
HOW THINGS WOULD CHANGE?
EXCEPT THE WAY I MISS YOU!
Joshua was our only child...  He brought such joy to our lives. Always on the go. There was never a dull moment raising Josh. He was always up to something! We spent many hours together just playing and exploring the world. His dad worked long hours so that we wouldn't have to put Josh in daycare and I could spend all my time with him. All to soon he was off to school and making his own circle of friends. He trusted everyone and didn't believe that anyone was a stranger; if they talked to you then they must be a friend. The bond stayed strong even though the time spent together seemed to be less now. When he was thirteen, we left California because some of the violence that had been occuring in the larger cities to the south of us were beginning to spread North at this time it was minor stuff but we knew we needed to take Josh and leave, we moved here to a smal rural town in central Missouri, where he would be safe. Josh was a practical joker, always pulling some prank on someone. He loved to make people laugh. There wasn't anything Josh wouldn't do for you! He was generous and kind at the same time. He could be a real stinker but always in fun. Soon he was off to the Army...
It didn't take long to realize this was not at all what he wanted. He hated guns, he didn't even hunt. He tried a few times to be like the rest of the boys but he just never really liked it. He would call home from Ft. Polk, La. and say mom I hate it here! I don't like these live fire exercises. I'm afraid someone will shoot me. Some of these guys don't know how to handle a gun and I'm afraid someone will shoot me. I want to come home....
Now he was sure he was safe and he eagerly looked for work, found it and enrolled in Columbia at the University of Mo. for the fall session to become an art teacher. His dream was finally starting to take shape. Two weeks later little did we all know how our lives would change when Josh stopped off at a friends house to introduce his new girl around before bringing her home for dinner to meet us. This friend was playing around with a shotgun pointing it at various people then turning it on Josh. When Josh asked if the gun was loaded. The response was "LETS FIND OUT"... With that remark a dream ended, a golden heart stopped beating and a family was destroyed.
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