His presence lit up the dark

It will come as no surprise that Ben and I shared too many good memories together. I would like to share two of those with you, because I think about them constantly.

When we were in middle school, we would go into your backyard and build forts. We would be reckless with tools and Ben would always keep us in check. We spent weeks and countless hours building a platform for our clubhouse. We would always get Hugo’s empanadas before we worked on our fort and those were some of the happiest days of my life.

I was always able to be myself around him. From riding bikes in Belmar to carving pumpkins, the fun and laughter never ended with him.

For something on a more personal level … sophomore year I broke my leg. The accident left my spirit completely broken and the people I thought would come never came. One day a knock came at the door and Ben walked in. His presence lit up the dark room and the pain was the second thing on my mind. He sat with me when I was at my lowest. I smelled terrible, I felt terrible and couldn’t even eat. Despite my condition, he stayed. Rather than feeling sorry for me, he talked like it was a normal day and we were going to play soccer. We played monopoly for HOURS and I could never win (even when I cheated).

Those days were the light that helped me through. It's something I’ll never forget.

Ryan and I loved every adventure, it built us as people and we knew there was nothing but love for us in his heart. There is always a piece of him that I carry with me, and I hope that when I see him again, I’ll beat him in monopoly finally.

Much, Much Love,

Dylan Barreto