My son Josiah and his wife were the caretakers at the church before me where I am the caretaker here now. I used to like to say I followed in my children’s footsteps. On February 8th, 2012 my son Josiah, child of Light at the age of 30 died of cancer. A year later his widow Erica at the age of 31 jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge.

​

The day after I learned of Erica's death I looked down from the bridge and saw two dolphins swimming. I don't know if there is a heaven or reincarnation but when I saw the Dolphins I thought the essence of my children are in those Dolphins.

 

My eulogy for Josiah at the First Congregational Church of Oakland where they attended: 

 

Memorial Eulogy for Josiah

by Dionysos Maskaleris

​

Josiah,

I miss you my little boy. I miss you – you tall man. I am sorry for the pain your body and mind was in.  I am sorry for the pain I caused. I am sorry you had to go. I miss you. My consciousness misses you.  My chromosomes and my DNA miss you. In you Josiah a part of me lived and a part of me died. Maybe only a part of you has died. Maybe your awareness is in a better place. Maybe your molecules are in trees and in waterfalls. Maybe your actions and presence of love in your life is still in our lives. Life and death are a mystery. Life is precious. Those we love are precious. My little boy Josiah you are precious. You tall man Josiah you are precious. You taught me more then anyone to love others and myself. As much as I brought life to you – you brought life to me. Josiah your life makes this world a better place.  Love is waves and waves of warmth.  I believe love is like starlight – even after the star dies the Light emanates ever on.  Josiah thank you for loving us. Josiah your life and your death is a miracle as everything and everyone is a miracle. Josiah you are caressing us with your essence now. Josiah thank you for bringing more love into the world with your life. Josiah thank you for spreading more love in the world with your death.  All of us are our collective memories. All of us are our entire DNA combined. We are all in trees and in waterfalls and in starlight. Perhaps we all exist as waves and particles of Light always making love to everyone and everything. At the same time perhaps all we have is this moment – the eternity of the moment.  Josiah in this moment we have our love for you and your love for us. I believe our bodies are not eternal but love is. I believe we create hell or heaven on this Earth for even in the prisons of our pain - the flowing stream of sunlight through the bars of our minds is beautiful. Though in the past I have struggled with depression or with many ‘dark nights of my soul’ and though I have been grieving for Josiah since he was diagnosed with terminal cancer I also feel joy for Josiah – I have and continue to every day of my life.  After Josiah’s birth I felt great happiness for this new being in our lives. I felt no postpartum depression. And today I feel no postmortem depression. Josiah thank you for your love that spreads to all humanity and to all of Gaia Earth. Thank you all for everyone's love.  Josiah I am proud of you for being a loving presence.  You lived a good life. You accomplished the most important things in life.  You spread and increased love to those around us and to those you never met.  And the other great accomplishment of life – you had fun. Truly the love in you – this essence of you - lives on. Thank you for your being Josiah.

​

{All Dionysos Maskaleris writings copyright or copyright pending}

​