So many questions for Ben - from Lindy

In the last few days a new movie starring Josh Lawson ('Who?' say I.) called Any questions for Ben seems to have caught the public's attention. While not in any way shape or form is this an endorsement of the movie, the title caught my attention.

It was often worthwhile asking Ben questions even when he had only the smattering of wisdom his 23 years of life afforded him—And now? ... When we assume he has the whole universe of wisdom and knowledge in his grasp?

I often find myself directing questions to God about Ben and then have quiet imaginary conversations with Ben himself. I wonder how he would evaluate his life? I can remember his customary shoulder shrug when asked anything he interpreted as invasive, or too direct—refusing to get 'intense' about it all.

Then because it's all in my imaginings and therefore my control I take
the 'occasionally happy to be intense' Ben model and let my mind
wander into all kinds of conversations with him about the meaning of
life and how he would live it if he got a chance to come back now,
knowing what he now knows.

Continuing on with the movie theme, it reminds me that while waiting
for a feature movie to begin last week the cinema centre screened a
mini-documentary about melanoma. It was interviews and clips from a
young twenty-year-old man's family and friends talking about how
melanoma had robbed their son, brother and friend of his active,
healthy purposeful life. One brother talked about how all of them do
things differently now having watched their brother and friend die
from melanoma.

One of Ben's brothers has been medically advised to wear protective
clothing while in the sun. As he put on his rash shirt to go to the
beach I heard him telling his twelve-year-old brother that after being
diagnosed with cancer Ben had said to him that if he had the chance to
not get cancer he would wear sunglasses all the time and cover up with
shirts and creams; not get a tan, do whatever he needed to do… 'It's
just not worth the risk of getting cancer' he had said.

Any questions for Ben? So many!