On behalf of my family, I want to thank everyone who has lifted us up in prayer... I am overwhelmed by the generosity of our friends and
family that have held us together these past two weeks..
Ryan was born the day after my 5th birthday in June, 1989..
From the moment he arrived, he was "my baby". I'm
not saying he was an angel and that we got along famously- Im saying that I was
the big sister and tortured him like any good big sister would.
Ryan loved music. He identified with songs that represented
any genre imaginable. When he was a little toe-headed boy in shorts and rubber
boots, he loved Garth Brooks and he could name a Garth song - and which album
it came from - with seconds of hearing the opening chords.
As a little boy in grade school, Ryan's favorite subject was
"recess", which meant Mom and I were burning the midnight oil to get
those book reports done! Ryan played many sports, t-ball, pop-warner football,
wrestling, but flourished in Tae Kwon Do, and earned his Black Belt.
Ryan loved hunting and fishing. As a little boy, he tagged
along on fishin' trips with our dad and grandpa. At the time he passed the test,
at age 7, Ryan was the youngest in the county to receive his Hunter's Safety
certificate.
In high school, Ryan wrestled, ran track,and joined F.F.A..
Ryan showed sheep, and we had a lot of fun naming them together. Bonnie and
Clyde, and Tina (ala Napoleon Dynamite).
Growing up, it was always Ryan and I. We spent what seemed
like hundreds of hours either in the back of the truck, or riding in the 5th
wheel together, talking to mom on the Walkie-Talkie, or listening to the
silverware drawer open and close along the bumpy roads. He slept in my bed with
me for years and years - probably until he was in middle school.
Ryan loved sports. He was a walking, talking almanac for
random sports facts. He could also quote lines from hundreds of movies, and always had the perfect timing to make people laugh. He was a Raider fan, an A's/Angel's fan, a Lakers fan, and
loved Nascar.
Ryan was my best friend - and although Ryan was a lot of
things to a lot of people, he truly was my other half. Ryan would spend hours
on my couch at night watching chick-flicks while the rest of the world slept.
We had so many inside jokes and looks that kept us in giggles while everyone
thought we were weirdos.
He taught me how to hunt
zombies on Call of Duty, play bones, turned me on to NCIS, and Duck Dynasty.
We were the keeper of
eachother's secrets, and he talked to me about everything from girls to dreams,
hopes and fears, to the inner termoil of someone facing the grim diagnosis of
Bipolar 2 Disorder.
There was a period of
years that were very dark for Ryan, prior to his diagnosis. The downward spiral
saw my family on their knees in prayer for mercy. After countless sleepless
nights, there was light at the end of Ryan's too-short life. Ryan was clean and
sober for 28 months. Ryan joined our Dad at Celebrate Recovery, and in
January 2012, Ryan was baptized. Ryan and Dad completed the CR step-study and Ryan was happy.
I am blessed and
grateful for these past 2 years. They have been amazing. Ryan was the best
Uncle to Justice and Kayden. They call him Bubbo.. He doted on them, and they
constantly begged to go to Bubbo's house to play Legos or watch
"Gibbs" (NCIS).
Ryan was one of the few people in this world who could listen attentively to a certain 5 year-old prattle on and on and on......and on.
Ryan spent a lot of time
with Dad, and with "Uncle" Mondo and Videl- they went fishing
together, were on road trips to TDS, did a lot of shooting, and spent time just being boys..
Ryan and Dad (and sometimes me too) liked to pheasant hunt and ride the atv's.
Ryan loved his motorcycle and looked for anyone and any excuse to go for a
ride. Jay Rodacker and Ryan went on some roadtrips together, and Ryan and Dad liked to
explore the backroads in the jeep or tear up the track in the Chevelle.
Ryan went back to
school, to Heald College, and was excelling. He was doing all his own work for
once, and earning A's and Bs on his way to earning a degree and looking forward
to a career in the medical field.. We are unbelievably proud of his progress.
Ryan's 23 years were so
full of life that I could go on forever telling you about him
without breaking a sweat. It's safe to say that
Ryan loved with every ounce of his being. He always found the good in people -
even those who drove him crazy..
I will forever miss
hearing his ringtone, text tone and voice. Ryan was my go-to guy when I was
lonely and needed company. I am a 'click' with no 'clack' ... I will miss the
inside jokes like PEARL, and squirrel moments...
While there will never
be a replacement or filler for the deep void his absence has caused, I find
comfort in knowing that Ryan knows Jesus. That he went before me to Heaven to
scout the best hiding places (because I will - and I mean it - rip a wing off <-another inside joke). Ryan and I had this long-standing joke - that he
would be the one to take care of mom and dad when they got old(er)... Thanks a
lot, pal...
