I have a couple to share. My favorite is one I've shared with many people already, but means a lot to me.
I had brought cookies over to Ted for his birthday (his sophomore year), and there was a HUGE thunderstorm outside. I stayed and chatted with Ted and his roommate Nitin for a little while and right before I left, Ted told me to "be careful on your way home. It's crazy out there." I told him I'd be careful just as soon as I'd rolled down Bell hill in the rain; one of my favorite things to do. Ted didn't even hesitate. He got up, said nothing, and ran down the stairs. We rolled down the hill together and he came to dizzily give me a hug at the bottom. Covered in mud and grass, we met Nitin at the top of the hill who just laughed at us. We got to roll down the hill together a few times after that, and it always brought a smile to my face when it would start raining and I saw Ted's name on my cell phone asking to meet over at the hill.
I received a letter from Ted maybe a year and a half ago, which I think embodies Ted extremely well. He was writing to thank me for my friendship and to express amazement at how quickly he thought it had taken for us to become close. It was touching, and personal. Which is exactly how Ted handled himself. I was never in the closest circle of Ted's friends, but that didn't seem to matter when it came to how Ted treated me. He always gave me the biggest hug after I would jump up and down in excitement when I saw him back on campus. He was poised, fun, and seemed just as comfortable having a few beers as he was having a "serious" conversation about boy/girl problems as he was telling me something new about his struggle with cancer.
I love Ted a lot, and miss him an incredible amount. I consider myself extremely lucky to have known him and gotten to meet his wonderful family. When some friends of Ted's and I went to see him this summer we had a fantastic day of storytelling and laughing. At one point after some ridiculous story, Ted looked at me, winked and laughed. That's the Ted that I think we'll all remember, and I can only hope to live my life so I can be remembered and loved as greatly and by as many people as he is.
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