TheBanyanTree: Ben

[NancyIee at aol.com]

Ben and his wife and daughter were long-time neighbors. Once upon a time, 
long ago, we were the "sundowner club", meeting each evening to sit on the beach 
bench with our sunset refreshments, and contemplate the setting of the day's 
sun. It was a ritual of quiet friendship, of sharing views and experiences, of 
getting to know our inner selves. 

Ben was the quiet one, droll of humor, gentle of smile, the one in the 
neighborhood who stole our calamondons and then brought us jars of delicious 
calamondon preserves each year.  Ben was handi-man challenged, but always willing to 
lend a hand, even if it was only to hold the nail while we pounded.  It was 
Ben's willingness and his constant  "man-on-the-job" who enabled the inspired 
the building of the new walk bridge over the lagoon  (which we all used to get 
to the beach). It was Ben who built the bridge between neighbors in disputes, 
the voice of calm.  It was Ben who listened to and advised anyone, the fairest 
judge in the block. Never intrusive, but always available.

Times and needs change, and Ben and his family sought to downsize.Though they 
since moved away from the neach neighborhood, and so have we, and more or 
less gone our separate ways, we kept in touch.

A few days ago, Ben suffered a stroke. Though it severly affected him 
physically, it didn't dampen his intense determination to live as he wanted. And, he 
chose, this time, not to fight.  If he couldn't be Ben, he didn't want to be 
at all.

I hadn't seen or talked to Ben since Christmas, yet, his passing affected me 
deeply. Ben, where ever you are now building bridges, you are missed.

NancyLee