One of the major downfalls of living abroad is when something terrible happens back home, said person living abroad is left feeling totally helpless. Last night, Jenny (who is marooned in England) called me on Skype to tell me that one of our friends, Ben had been killed in a car accident. Besides being a ridiculously talented soccer player, Ben was also one of the most genuinely nice (and most humble) people I know. He and Todd were like peanut butter and jelly and wherever they went, everyone was guaranteed to be laughing. Even though we sometimes complain about how small Albuquerque is, and life has taken all of us on different paths, one of the special things about it is when it comes down to it, everyone really cares about each other. Although we are all connected in different ways and through different people, we are very lucky in that we have great friends no matter where we go. Even though many of us hadn't seen Ben in awhile, the ominous feeling that someone is missing from our circle is still there. Senseless tragedies like this never add up and at times like these, the quote I took from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory writer David Seltzer says it all: "For some moments in life there are no words." I can't think of anything to say that will bring any of my friends at home comfort right now. All I can say is that we have our memories of Ben to bring smiles to our faces and we have each other to lean on.
I want everyone at home to know that I am with you in spirit and I hope you all find strength in each other. Remember to make the most of every day because life is short. As Jenny's mom, Susan said, "Remember to love and hug while we can." We will miss you Ben.
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