I had a conversation with a very special man today. His name is Christian Knill. Chris and and I have known each other for some time now although we don’t see a lot of each other. I’m off to Thailand in a few days, “the land of smiles” and I had to see Chris before I left because he has some very strong ties over there that intrigue me and warm my heart in a big way. Chris had a family tragedy happen in 2004 when he lost both his parents in the tsunami disaster that killed a mass of people. Since the tragedy Chris and his brothers have shown such strength to overcome the adversities of losing two special people that meant the entire world to them. A year to the day I found myself walking on the beach in Patong where many people lost their lives. I walked in a flood of strong emotions as I saw family members morn and honor the deceased , throwing flowers into the sea and releasing doves and numerous other traditions.
The next day I ran into Chris and his brothers and found out that they were involved in giving back service to orphans close to where they lost their parents. That moved me and struck me as such an amazing act of courage and faith. After such a loss to go back to the same area and be of service and give love! That made me respect my friend more than he probably knows. It’s been a little over 7 years since the tragedy that impacted millions of people. Time truly does fly! I’m going to go to the orphanage that Chris and his brothers went and gave back to while I’m on my journey. I look so forward to connecting with these gentle souls that haven’t had it exactly easy in life. But I know from experience in that part of the world it doesn’t take much to make people happy. I want to take this time to thank Chris for making it possible for me to connect to these people, and look forward to sharing in the adventure of Southeast Asia with all that tune into Return to Happiness…
Much Love Ryan