ABOUT THIS EPISODE
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.
p.s. The Good Stuff is now on YouTube! Subscribe here
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
Subscribe to The Good Stuff on YouTube here
Follow The Good Stuff Podcast on Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.good.stuff.podcast
Follow The Good Stuff Podcast on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/the.good.stuff.podcast/?hl=en
Visit The Good Word, Co.: The Good Word, Co.
