Lost without you: in memory of Joseph Miles III

By Benjamin Circelli
Senior Staff Writer
March 28, 2007

I’m lost without you. In the dark without you. I can’t help myself, I’m crisscrossed without you.

Joe Miles was THAT dude. For me he was, and still is, the motivation, inspiration and measure for success in life. I hope that I can achieve as much in my lifetime as Joe achieved in just 21 years.

It wasn’t until Joe and I were roommates our junior year at La Salle that I truly began to realize that Joe was cut from a different cloth. It soon became apparent that God played a hand in Joe’s conception; it was almost like Joe was too good to be true. He raised the bar for everyone, especially his equals, the La Salle community and everyone fortunate enough to surround Joe. While most of us are role models to those that are younger than us, Joe was a role model to his peers and even his elders. Joe was the only person my age that made me say, “I want to be more like him.” Seeing how Joe operated on a daily basis last year, and even this year while fighting lymphoma made me want to be a better individual, plain and simple.

Though I really believe Joe was a different type of individual, one must look at a person’s family and upbringing in order to fully understand their character. Within the first five minutes of meeting Joe’s parents and twin brother, Kenny, you will realize why Joe was the way he was. They are kind, loving people, who bring the most out of those they are with. Like their son, Joe’s parents show the same strength and care for others. Like his brother, Kenny exhibits the same dynamic personality and determination to succeed. Even the rest of Joe’s family, most of whom I met while visiting Joe at the hospital in New York, have a special glow about them that is very distinguishable.

Still, the last few weeks have been rough, both emotionally and mentally. It’s times like these that make me think of the past: the good times, the bad times; the time we shared, the time we wasted. The times I wish I would have done things differently. The times I wish I could have back.

And it’s times like these that make me reflect on the present: the joy of new experiences, the sorrow for lost loved ones; the blessings God bestows on each of us, the confusion that surrounds us daily; the reason for sickness, the fear of death. But overall, the beauty of life.

This reflection of the present leads to the mystery of the future, of what life has in store for myself and those around me. The opportunities waiting to be tackled and those that will be squandered. The families that will be built and re-built. The memories that will be created, shared and always remembered.

Just like Joe, though, faith will help us get through every challenge we must face on the road called life. His faith in himself – his talent, his strength and his abilities – was present in everything he did.

Joe was like a samurai; he was a true warrior. We face battles every single day, but Joe faced a battle that a majority of us have never had to endure, with an enemy unlike any we have had to face. While most of us would snivel in the face of cancer, Joe embraced it head on, knowing more strength and honor would come from doing so.

I believe fear plays a decisive role in the way we battle adversity, but Joe exhibited none whatsoever. He rarely let it exert control and interfere with his everyday actions. He certainly never let it dictate his lifetime dreams and achieving the goals he set out to conquer.

Ultimately, Joe couldn’t change his destiny, but he definitely did what he could until his destiny was revealed. I love you with all my heart and will eternally miss you. Your legacy will live on through each one of us and you will never be forgotten.

circellib1@lasalle.edu