I know most of you have recieved the news of Adam's death but I must honor him by sharing about how great he was. First, of all, we have heard many accounts of how he died so please take that into consideration when hearing this account. He was in a delivery truck picking up coffee beans for their internet cafe and lost control of the vehicle while traveling down a steep, winding road. The truck headed down a cliff and Adam was found dead at the scene. The other men who were in the truck with him had to be taken to the hospital and suffered internal injuries. One man made it and the other died at the hospital. It is amazing how many different stories we have heard but this is the truest information that Ben and Kym have been given.
We are in Oklahoma City now and saw Ben and Kym and Eli at the airport last night. We will go and spend time with them today as well as with the rest of the family. We are thankful for the Portland friends that will be able to come for Adam's funeral this next week.
Adam was a great, great guy. He was one of the funniest people I have ever met. He was genuine and thoughtful. He gave of himself in every area of his life. I have so many great memories of Adam and I'll try to do him justice...
Adam lived at our house for just under a year before we moved out to Texas. We shut him up in our garage and let him come in for food and the bathroom (every twenty minutes) and we let him watch an occasional t.v. show since he was paying for cable... We got to listen to his record collection together and we played with the children together right before bedtime... I will always remember the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich I ever had, made by Adam Langford. I will remember playing outside as a family, throwing a baseball or a football or a frisbee... I will remember the laughter and entertainment that Adam and Ben brought me daily. I will remember playing Rail Baron together and a rum and coke every once in a while... I'll remember trying to find him girls to date which was very ineffective! What I remember about my buddy, Adam, is living life together. Even when it was via e-mail or a phone call, life was better with his stories and his laughter. It's hard to imagine life without Adam in it. Maybe I just won't.
Adam, thank you for every smile and every thoughtful word. Thank you for how you gave of yourself and how you sacrificed on behalf of others. You were the same person no matter who you were surrounded by and you lived the life of Jesus. You rock and I will miss you dearly!
7 comments:
I'll never be able to look at a box of Lucky Charms the same way again. Adam was truly one of the funniest people I've ever met and we'll miss him always. We love you guys and will see you at the funeral.
For those who don't know...The funeral will be on Wednesday at 10:00 am at the Memorial Road Church of Christ with a viewing on Tuesday evening from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the Baggerly Funeral Home in Edmond.
Ben and Kym are doing well...we are all hurting...the world is not quite as beautiful anymore.
We are thinking and praying for you and the others that loved him. What a blessing to have people love you and miss you from all over the world. He must have been very special.
Thanks for your tender words, Jenner. Prayers are being offered up all around the globe. I wish we could be there with you & Ben. Feel our hugs nonetheless.
The first time I met you and Ben, I met Adam as well. And I thought to myself, "This is probably the most fun house I could imagine living in!"
The thing I loved most about knowing Adam was that although we didn't know him well or even very long, he made a huge impact on our lives and blessed us in so many different ways. He blessed us with so much laughter, so much conviction and passion, and so much joy. His spirit was contageous.
Hugs to you and Ben and the kids. Please hug Ben and Kym for us as well. I'm so glad for you that you are able to be with the Langford family in OC right now. You all continue to be in our hearts and lifted up in prayer.
I'm so glad that I was able to meet Adam just that once. He was an awesome guy. I know this is a terribly hard time. I'm so sorry for your loss. Know that you are loved.
Jen,
I need to apologize for not calling you as soon as I heard the news of Adam. My heart was so tormented for you that I just couldn't face you and Ben. I'm so sorry for not being stronger...
I thought I had your current number,because you had double-checked it after lunch at Red Robin during your visit, but it didn't work, so Cheryl gave me your current number, but then it got thrown out. I'll ask her for it again, but I just wanted to touch basis with you right now while Lincon is somewhat calm! ;0)
Adam and your family have been on my heart since the moment Jason let me know what had happened, and it tears me apart to know how much pain you and Ben must have felt that day. You love passionately, play passionately. A person just doesn't become a "chum" with the Ries', it's like becoming part of a special club once you give your love to someone. I have such intense feelings for you guys. I don't really know how to explain how much I love your family...or if you'll ever really know.
There is a continual surge of emotions going through my body it seems. I think that over all I am just so very thankful that I was able to be a small part of his life and how much respect I had for that guy. One of my most favorite things was how he has that natural talent for making everyone he comes in contact with feel like you had been friends for 20 years. That is a true gift to give to someone.
For some reason, we ALWAYS ran into each other at Fred Meyer. It was so randum. Out of the entire store we would always meet at the same checkout counter! We would go over our newly collected goodies in our baskets and talk about what we were shoping for, catch up, etc. Once he even had Blain with him (which was a nice treat as always)!
I know that your hearts were with East County on Sunday. I was so looking forward to that day. I knew that EC would do something that would be so special and meaningful and they lived up to my expectations. I will always remember that day and it will be one of my favorites for the rest of my life. Its such a great place for loving people. A place where you can truly celebrate and heal at the same time.
When we sang "It is well with my soul," it wasn't me singing, but you Jen. I sang it for you since you couldn't be there. (Plus we were lacking in the alto department! ;0) ) There is no doubt in my mind that the service on Wednesday will be amazing and I am so thankful that many will be there to suport you guys and the Langfords. What a blessing church family is.
Wow. I'm praying for your strength every second. The older that I get I don't really view death as I used to. Adam isn't dead. He never died. He is more alive now than you or I and he is living out the life that God has planned for Him. Adam is continuing to be faithful...he got rid of his old clothes and has on a new pair of kicks! His feelings for you and Ben have not changed, he's still goofy, hillarious, kind, thoughtful and adventurous. Nothing has changed, really. We just have to be patient. What a fun reunion we'll all have.
I just love you guys. Know that I wish I could be there to support you in OK. I'll be praying for you tonight and tomorrow morning. Love, your Rici (We put Paula Abdul to shame, girl!!! You should see my new moves!)
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