Eulogy?

The problem with being involved with a writer or entertainer is that you are likely going to be an easy subject.

Sorry, Ryan.

Ryan is younger than myself. In fact, I about #die when I consider that I was a junior in highschool when he was in the 8th grade. Blech. Although, for the record, he is only two years my junior. (I guess one of us is either smart or stupid for the big school gap. 😛)

He was trying very hard to date me in the early years, but I wasn't having it so much for a few reasons. I was in college and he was in highschool. I was kind of his boss at work. And, I'm very sorry to say, that there was a small, or big, factor, regarding looks. He was the largest beanpole I had ever seen. And, frankly, to this day I prefer my people more round and sturdy like myself than thin and scrawny. If I hug you and I can like wrap my arms well around you, this is a problem, because my arms are not very big. You need to eat more. I want to see and feel some substance, right? If you need assistance here, I am great with distributing snacks.

Anyway, it apparently eventually worked out.

But I digress.

I want to talk about one of his character traits.

Undeniably Ryan is a servant. A very Christlike, pour himself out for you, person. His heart for others really knows no bounds. If you have a need, he wants to help you. His specialty includes anything with a motor, and aside from myself, this is his first love. He also is pretty handy with home projects, and, of course, electronics.

Over the course of time, much to my chagrin at times, he has left our own projects destitute and lonely while he has been in the service of others. We still joke about the walls in our hallway that remained drywall free for the three years we lived in the house. (It's okay, he also had to go to Iraq, Singapore, Veldhoven, and the Dominican Republic. I get it.)

He gave up his entire summer our last year in Utah to landscape for our new church building a decade in the making. When I say landscape, I mean tear out trees, clear the lot, and put in a commercial sprinkler system. What a monumental task. He designed it. He rented the machines. And he did a very large portion with just his own two hands.

Yesterday, he gave up his day to help a coworker relocating from Veldhoven, thus with limited English, rip out a backyard and lay sod. He did the legwork of renting all the machines, ordering the sod, and transporting said heavy machinery.

And, no, I'm not upset that my toilet is still in my living room. Because I'm so proud of the man that he is.

You don't find many selfless people these days, everyone is looking to their own affairs; but, Ryan is always looking out for someone else.

I hope one day I might be more like him.