There are some universal truths in life.
One is that nobody gets out of this life alive.
The other is there are no goodbyes... just see you laters.
Ryan will never truly die, because he will live on in the hearts and minds of the people he touched in his life. He may no longer be physically with us, but he will ALWAYS be here. Though he and I couldn't have been any more different in our lives, lifestyles, and beliefs, we share the bond and unity of this place and the spirit of friendship and community that surrounds it. I never conversed with Ryan, but I followed his battle with AIDS with hope that he would find peace. And, in the end, Ryan has found that peace. He rests now in paradise in the caring and loving arms of our Lord and Savior. His mission in life is over. He touched dozens of people around the world with his earnest, uncompromising honesty. His unconcerned openness was a refreshing thing. It will be missed.
In the end, it isn't how long we lived that is remembered, but how well we lived. And judging by the support he had here, few have lived as well as Ryan.
You're in the arms of the angels now, Angelsboi. Fly with them like you lived your life - unapologetically your own way.