Ryan's Birthday

July 21, 2026

A synopsis of the day Written by Robin:

Tonight we gathered as a family to celebrate you, Ryan.

There was nothing formal or perfectly planned, just family and friends coming together to celebrate your 21 years of life. Today you would have turned 22.

I keep thinking back to our conversations about your future. We were looking at IKEA couches for your apartment in San Diego and already planning our trip to visit you in the fall. Life changed so drastically. There are still moments when I can’t tell what’s real and what’s a dream, and then it hits me all over again that this is real. This is our new reality.

Tonight we shared stories. We cried. We laughed. We even heard a few stories I don’t think you ever imagined we’d hear… thanks, Ozzy lol.

We broke bread together around one table. For a moment we thought our waiter’s name was Ryan, and all of our eyes got big at the coincidence. Then we realized it was Bryan, and we all laughed because it instantly took me back to the time you and I stopped at the Target Starbucks and they wrote “Bryan” on your cup instead of “Ryan.”

Those little moments somehow felt like you were right there with us.

You would have loved being at that table tonight, seeing your family—every part of it—together, supporting one another, sharing stories, talking about life, and finding ways to honor you as we continue to move through ours.

You were missed beyond words. You always will be.

Happy 22nd birthday, Ryan. We celebrated you the best way we knew how—with love, laughter, tears, and a table full of people whose lives are forever better because you were in them.

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My Tribute

Today is your birthday. You'd be 22. I still can't fully process that you're gone.

I keep picturing your laugh. That goofy, unmistakable laugh that could turn any bad day around. I still hear it sometimes, in quiet moments, and for a second the world makes sense again.

I miss the little things. The check-ins. The way you had of showing up for people without making a big deal of it. That was just you.

I miss the conversations we hadn't gotten to yet, the fishing trips we'll never go on and the future we don't get to have.

I don't say that with regret today, just love, and a whole lot of longing.

You served with honor. You lived with a big heart. You made the people around you feel cared for, feel like they mattered.

That's not a small thing.

That's everything.

So today, instead of only grieving what's gone, I want to celebrate that you existed at all.

That I got to be your dad. That for the years I had you, I had someone worth pouring every ounce of love I had into.

Happy birthday, son. I love you today, tomorrow, and every day after that. Always.

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Robin's Tribute:

As I look back at posts from this day in years past, my social media is flooded with pictures of you as we celebrated your birthday. Today is no different.

Happy Birthday, Ryan.

You are loved so deeply, and you are missed beyond words. There simply aren’t words that can truly describe how much.

Today my heart and my mind are still trying to understand how you’re not here for this celebration. But I promise I will still find a way to celebrate you today—to honor the 21 years you spent on this earth, the incredible young man you became, and the countless lives you touched through your kindness, generosity, and the way you loved others.

We are so incredibly proud of you. Your legacy didn’t end when your life on earth did. It lives on in every person who was changed by knowing you, and it will continue to live on through the love we carry for you every single day.

Happy Birthday, Ryan. We love you. Always.

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Pam's Tribute:

July 21, 2004 - you arrived early (by two weeks ) and taught me the meaning of unconditional love. You are everything to me. Today you are still with me, I feel your presence all around. And I will speak your name and share the amazing memories that I cherish.

You left too early, and I still can’t fully accept that reality - I don’t know if I ever will. But today I will celebrate you as best as I can, through laughter and tears. I adore you my peanut.

Thank you for allowing me to be your mom.

Happy birthday, Ryan!