A Friends Burial: Ryan E. Abel
I’ve never seen a friend of mine pass on to another life. I have seen family members at the cemetary getting ready for the journey, but I have never seen the final result of the lowering into the ground. This is the final closure to my friends journey on this Earth. The final goodbye to my friend Ryan E. Abel. A strong man who fought to the end with Cystic Fibrosis, but at the end he knew where he was going. This is a posting I put on his CF Golf Classic Guestbook page about two months after his death….
“It was truly an honor and a pleasure to know Ryan. In such a brief time ( a year and a half) I got to know him, it felt like I knew him for a lifetime. When he was painting my house we spent a lot of time talking and getting to know one another. We enjoyed Ryan coming over to our house on occasion seeing our kids, meeting my folks and having some quality time around the firepit. As his condition was going down hill I got closer to him as a friend and as a “brother” in prayer. It was nice to get to know his mother and his girlfriend and meeting other family members in his final stages at Mayo. I left Ryan one last time in his final days with peace in my heart because I knew he was going to Heaven and was going to be in a much better place. Thinking of Ryan still brings tears to my eyes, but I know for a fact, he would tell me to stop it. He told me he wanted his golf event to be a way for everyone to remember him. Well, lets do it and really rise to the occasion. God Bless Ryan, his family and friends. May they get through this very difficult time. May the Lord bless this event with plenty of smiles, laughing, needed CF donations and fun for all. Ryan would want all of this. My family continues to pray for Ryan, even my three year old knows he’s in Heaven and prays for Ryan EVERY night. Blessings to all. Ryan, I love you and miss you dearly. Ken Quattrin and family.”
I stand by this with my heart, prayers and love for him and to his friends and family. A lot of tears were shed today because of his memory and legacy. I was very sad, but I didn’t cry. The reasoning…I know I will see him again in Heaven. In such a short amount of time I realized how many folks he touched. I will visit Ryan quite frequently (okay now I’m crying, especially after seeing the video below! It seems like yesterday!). God has you home…we will do all we can to keep your fire alive. The golf classic in a few weeks will be more special than ever. If anyone reads this and feels motivated to give maybe a dollar, ten or $100+ I thank you from my heart! All proceeds go to CF research. I hope to see you at the golf classic!
So long Ryan, it’s not goodbye; it’s see you down the road in His kingdom!
Ken Quattrin
