January121999

It is so hard to write this...

But I need to tell the tragedy of losing my son Joshua

at only 23 years old.

As hard as it is for me to write this, And to live with this,

It may also be a hard page to read...

BUT It is How I Lost My Son Joshua.

Joshua worked for a tree clearing company.

They were clearing lines for TECO (Tampa Electric Company).

My son was putting the trees and limbs in the chute of a wood chipper. There was a new employee standing with him, as he was in training, and so he knew nothing about stopping the wood chipper. One of the trees got stuck, according to the young man.

Joshua kicked the tree with his foot. It then became loose, and of course then it goes in very fast. The tree pulled Joshua in with it. Joshua grabbed the outside of the chute, but also the bar that speeds up the fingers of the chipper. The boy, who was in training,

didn't know where the emergency cut off was, the supervisor was three homes down smoking weed, and Joshua's friend and co-worker was up in the bucket. By the time he got down Joshua was in the chute up to his chest.

I'm not sure where I was, but I will tell you I crawled in a hole for two years and stayed there. If what happened to Josh wasn't bad enough for my mind, the secretary for my lawyer sent me the accident photos by mistake.

So my imagination no longer runs wild.

I have definite views of my son's death.

I kept them and don't know why,

I can't seem to throw them away.

I had two wakes:

One here in Florida, and then I brought Joshua up to Massachusetts to bury him in our family plot.

Wish I never did that, as I don't go up there myself,

nor do Mat and Andrew.

I don't have that place to go and sit and visit. I wish I had him here.

I Miss him every day of my life

and so does his brothers and family and friends as well.

"He Only Took My Hand"