Hi. This is my most vulnerable episode yet. I cry multiple times. If you have been a consistent listener, you probably know who Ben is. If you are new here, Ben was a bonus big brother of mine who passed away at the beginning of 2025. There have been little snippets of him on the podcast over the past year. Now feltlike a good time to dedicate an episode to the things he taught me, stories of how he lived, and the complexities of grieving someone young. If you knew Ben personally, please only watch or listen to this if you think it will help you. I do not want this to make anyone any sadder than you might already feel. Thereis not much more to say. I hope you take something from this episode.

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Episode Timestamps:

00:00 – Jumping in the pool & doing what Ben said

00:26 – Welcome to The Good Stuff

00:38 – A different and deeply personal episode

01:12 – Why today’s episode is about Ben

02:46 – Growing up with Ben as family

03:15 – Losing Ben & letting life guide the timing

04:14 – Honoring anniversaries and grief

05:24 – Choosing privacy and intentional sharing

06:44 – Who Ben was and why he mattered

07:02 – Ben’s cancer journey & living vibrantly

08:23 – Celebrations of life and shared impact

09:43 – Grief when someone passes too young

12:22 – Ben as the oldest and paving the way

15:08 – Shifting to lessons from Ben’s life

17:04 – A sticky note, crazy faith, and hope

21:50 – Story 1: My third birthday & the Barbie Jeep

25:40 – What that story says about Ben

26:17 – Story 2: Paddle tennis, losing, and jumping in the pool

29:04 – Story 3: Ben’s meticulous notes to help others

30:49 – Story 4: A moment at the river in Montana

34:29 – Seeing Ben live on through others

37:26 – Two celebrations, one consistent character

39:37 – Quiet kindness and unseen impact

40:29 – What Ben taught me

42:15 – Lessons: strength, integrity, and meaning

43:49 – Honoring people by carrying them with you

44:36 – Final reflections and gratitude

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