A friend of mine died last month. He lived to be almost 30, which is considered lucky when you have cystic fybrosis.

I can remember babysitting him when he was just 2, and his mom had to walk me through all of the medications he needed.

I can remember all the times he was in the hospital for too much mucus in his lungs. Mom drove them to doctor appointments in Burlington,  which was a 2 hour drive.

What breaks my heart the most is his last Facebook post, where he asked why it was so hard to breathe.

Josh grew up to be a funny young man with a lot of the same interests as I have. Yet, I’ll always remember him as the adorable toddler who would only take his medicine once it had been hidden in applesauce. 

I’ll miss you, Josh.  I’m thankful for the years we knew each other.