To those loved and lost.
Ben Richman
Last month I learned of the passing of Ben. “Ben passed away.” The words echoed through my ears though did not land, and still have not. I lay beneath the stars of scattered clouds that night along the New England coastline with glassy eyes not yet ready for tears. Imagines of Ben, “Regimin”, flooded my mind in rapid sequence, as if fluttering through the pages of grade-school comic book starring him and him only. I was impressed that in each page of this booklet of Ben, he smiled in every frame.
The last moments I got to spend time with Ben, he came over to a home I was building on my parent’s property in Boulder Country, the area where we both grew up. Immediately excited by the project, he offered to help me install the plumbing, which is more or less the kindest action someone might extend in this life. In the evenings to follow Ben would drop by after work and we would glue and join pipes as he held his level on them to ensure sufficient drainage. We ate Snarf’s sandwiches as we mused over love, life, and days gone by. He then proceeded to gift me a coffee-table he had recently welded. I don’t believe I ever told him how much those moments meant to me, but I will thank him in my own way each time that toilet flushes.
My favorite moments with Ben were spent soaking in the vastness of Telluride summer skies during the annual Bluegrass festival. Under a more realistic lens, these times were a peak in our adolescent tomfoolery. We achieved a proper balance of youthful exploration regarding the natural world and coming of age indulgence. Ben filled that valley with his presence in a way that only he could – maximizing bluegrass, river-crossings, friendship, and humor with sage-like balance. To travel back to those times for mere minutes could warm my bones through the coldest of Colorado nights.
I hope that with the passing of time we all my gravitate towards the things that are most meaningful to us. In my own life, it takes practice each day to choose my priorities and act beyond impulse. Ben will forever be my role model in this. To the man who chose family, hard-work, humor, and love…I will miss you and I love you. Thank you.
