Cancer Patient Embraces Suffering through Songwriting

In 2018, Grotto shared this story about Josh Comeau, a firefighter and father who was battling stage-four glioblastoma cancer. Josh passed away in January of 2019. His fire chief said, “Josh was a strong firefighter physically, mentally, and spiritually. Josh’s attitude and faith never faltered even in the toughest of times.” Join us in praying for Josh and extending thoughts and prayers to his family. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Husband and father Josh Comeau was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a stage 4 brain cancer. “Sometimes when I am wrestling with any number of life’s issues or the reality of cancer or what the future looks like,” he shares, “God inspires me to write a song, and that is an excellent way of processing it.”

Video Transcript

Josh Comeau: Hey, beautiful.

Daughter: Can I come out?

Son: Daddy’s home.

Daughter: Mama, can I come outside?

Son: Hi, Daddy.

Wife: Hold on, let’s give Daddy a hug.

Josh: Hey.

Daughter: Hi, Dad.

Josh: Hey.

Daughter: How was your day?

Josh: Great. It’s great now. Hey. My house is in disarray. Large families typically have this problem; it’s called ‘I can’t pick up after myself’ disease.

Josh Comeau was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a stage 4 brain cancer.

Josh: And this is my little studio that I’m going to have to go get keys to unlock.

Grotto: That will protect it, huh?

Josh: Oh yeah.

Daughter: And this is my little house!

Son: We need to clean this room.

Josh: This is where I come up with musical solutions to everyday problems. Sometimes when I am wrestling with any number of life’s issues or the reality of cancer or what the future looks like, I come down here and sometimes God inspires me to write a song, and that is an excellent way of processing it.

I love to play on my looper and loop things all over. I could be making it up, I don’t know, I’m the one with the faulty brain. But it just seems that there’s new tones that collide with each other, just overlap, and sometimes I’ll just get done with something and just sit in front of the amp and just let that sound wash over me. I don’t know, it lifts my thoughts to higher places.

Josh shares his songs on YouTube. It’s not about the views. It’s solace and healing.

Josh: At some point, you have to pick up and move on. You have to find joy. You have to find joy in your life. You have to find joy in the fact that there’s a purpose for this. You don’t have to understand it.

I gotta believe that there is some purpose to suffering. Otherwise, looking at a cross, seeing a man crucified, died for me, makes no sense at all. But somehow, it’s the strongest expression of love. The key is to pick up our crosses and walk this journey for Christians. That’s what He’s looking for.