’s Eulogy
Eulogy
A life well spent is what Joshua wanted in life. Not only was he able to achieve that but he was also able to achieve a multitude of incredible things through his meaningful life. With traveling the world, assisting those in need, following his passions and dreams, and making not only impactful relationships with all who met him but also with his life-long partner. 
Knowing Joshua since he was a little kid I understood how hard he tried to become a better person and to live life to his fullest. Around the time of college he really benefited from self reflection. I think he understood this when watching a Ted-Talk in which they said “It’s only by stepping farther back and standing still that we can begin to see what that canvas is” (Why we need to slow down our lives” by Pico Iyer - Moreau FYE Week 1). BY seeing the whole picture Joshua was able to understand people from different backgrounds and from all walks of life. This is why I find that he was loved by so many people. If it weren't for his openness to love and his commitment to first better himself and then his community then he would not have been able to be the person he was. 
Joshua couldn’t have gotten anywhere near this self-reflection by himself however. He had such amazon support around him everywhere he went. I know he would want to thank his parents for giving him such high moral standards and instilling the beyond amazon ethics that he lived on a day to day basis. I think Joshua would more attribute his inspiration of a well lived life to his main mentor Todd Mann, Joshua’s club coach. He connected with Joshua on a level that no one had connected with him before. By doing this he left his sense of humor, wittiness, and powerful life quotes in Joshua’s life. The lasting impact of a mentor in Joshua’s life reminds me of the deep impact that Father Hesburgh made on African American liberties during the 20th century (“Hesburgh” by Jerry Barca - Moreau FYE Week 2). The impact that they both made on each person is undeniable and will be felt through years and hopefully years to come. Joshua’s life was indeed benefited for the better with the aid of an inspiration. Along with Coach Todd in his life Joshua went out of his way to get to know adults and people he could learn from. He would constantly sit with the adults or have great discussions with random strangers to try and gain a slice of wisdom or even a piece of what not to do. He did this by asking a former graduate of Mendoza at Notre Dame to tell him about his experience after graduating. After that conversation Joshua's education was transformed and little did he know but after Mike Hug would offer him a job in the future (Moreau FYE Week 5). Mike had many connections, not just through his professional positions and the individuals he had met as a result of them, but also through his network of fellow Notre Dame alums. Joshua believed that speaking with him about the processes of obtaining a job after graduation and utilizing the Notre Dame network, which Joshua had heard so much about, would be really valuable to him.
Joshua also really pursued his dreams. This included traveling the world and making each place he went to a better place. Every year his family decided to go on one or two international trips not only to experience beautiful places but also beautiful cultures. One of Joshua’s favorite quotes about exploring his best life was: “The only way to know more about yourself is to test the waters - just get out and experience life!” I like this because unless you dip your toe in many pools you don't know which one is for you” (Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week 4). Finding the right place by discovering all these types of lives was one of Joshua’s favorite things to do. Doing this made him live his absolute best life possible. He was able to find such a unique niche within himself by questioning himself and his morals. What was he going to contribute to the world? What was his place in the world? These are questions that he asked himself to hopefully become the best person he can be and in retrospect Joshua did all those things with his long and meaningful life on this earth. Joshua asked these questions because of some meaningful stuff he read by Ruth Graham  in which it was heavily discussed challenging your own self to better your life (“Meet the nun who wants you to remember that you will die” by Ruth Graham - Moreau FYE Week 3) When she says this stuff it heavily impacted Joshua because he changed his lifestyle asking himself “If I was to die in an hour would I regret my life” This is how he made his life as meaningful as possible. 
Tasha Eurich's book "The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, There Is a Wrong Way)" offered  a lot to think about in his meditations. WHen he was attending The University of Notre Dame he attempted one of the McDonald Center for Student Well-"Ways Being's To Practice Mindfulness," while thinking about Eurich's approach of focusing on the what questions rather than the why questions (“The Right Way to be Introspective(Yes, There is a Wrong way)) by Tasha Eurich - Moreau Week 6). It was extremely beneficial since it allowed him to focus on what he wanted to achieve and what he already had rather than the more frustrating ideas that might occur when asking why questions. Being able to manage the obstacles of life was one of Joshua’s special talents that he could just float around problems he was dealing with. 
Ultimately Joshua I believe was best known for his beautiful relationships especially to his wife. While Joshua struggled with relationships at first he has learned so much about the caring aspect and how to treat other people. I think experiencing different types of relationships and talking with his bestfriends about the problems they are going through and what to do about them was really beneficial for him and his long term growth as a person. Joshua was at first very distant with most people but this quote really changed him for the better “The gulf too wide and the gap too distant, the walls grow higher, and we forget who we are meant to be to each other” (“Chapter 8: Jurisdiction, Tattoos on the Heart” by Fr. Greg Boyle - Moreau Week 7) Joshua grew to become the person we all knew and loved. He really was able to learn what a well lived life is.