When our son, Matthew, came home from a new school in 4th grade saying he had made a new friend, Drew Benner, I was happy for him. Matthew and Drew seemed to be two peas in a pod. They agreed on most things, got each other’s jokes, both liked singing, soccer, being hams, etc.
What I didn’t realize right away, was that Matthew didn’t just get a new friend in Drew. Getting to know Drew meant getting to know the entire Benner family. Wendy included me with her friends, and shared with me her invaluable knowledge about teachers, schools, etc (having been through everything with Kaitlyn and Madi). Soon, Kaitlyn considered herself Matthew’s big sister, too. She enjoyed driving Matthew and Drew home from school, and counseling them about life over slurpies every week. Eric was at all the kids’ school events, soccer games, talent shows, and musicals. He was a great photographer and documented everything. He also was always willing to drive, and wait around for the kids, whether at choir practice or at our house picking up Drew from a sleepover. And, he was always joking around. That’s one of the things I remember most about him, his sense of humor and great smile. He was so dedicated to his family, and it was obvious to me how much he loved them. And, it was obvious how much they were loved, because of how giving they were. Basically, the Benner family became like family to us.
When our youngest son, Luke, got very sick, the Benner family was a godsend. They adopted Matthew as if he was their own for days on end while Luke was in the ICU. When Matthew was with them, they were concerned not just for his physical wellbeing, but also his emotional stress about his brother. Drew was the best friend anyone could ask for, texting me (during school!) to ask for pictures of Luke to help Matthew feel better.
We couldn’t have been more fortunate that Matthew and Drew were in the same class that year and became friends. It was an honor to know Eric. He will be greatly missed, and we will always be here to support and love Drew and the Benner family in any way we can.