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Benjamin Butteling

@benthebuilder888

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Faith in the fire. Freedom to fight. Made for more than comfort—I rise for legacy, fight with love and purpose, and I will not stop.

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by @benthebuilder888

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a month ago

by @benthebuilder888

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a month ago

To my family,

Lately I've been thinking about what family means to me.

I grew up believing family meant there was always an aunt's or uncle's house to visit. It didn't matter if it was Mom's side or Dad's side. There always seemed to be a birthday, a BBQ, or a potluck somewhere. Home wasn't just one house. It felt like an entire neighborhood filled with people who knew and loved each other.

I remember walking a hundred feet to an aunt's or uncle's house just to see what was going on. I remember basketball in the driveway, soccer in the street, swimming all day at someone's pool, and the adults playing cards while we ran around until the sun went down.

I remember Easter stretching across three backyards as if they were all one home. I remember holidays filled with laughter, stories, and homemade food... except someone always seemed to show up with KFC. I remember hanging out at the park playing volleyball or soccer. I remember New Year's at someone's house, finding out one of our cousins tried to pop a glass decoration, and walking with a whole pack of cousins to the park just to spend the day together.

Those memories are gifts I'll always carry.

Life changed. We all grew up, started families, built careers, and followed different paths. That's part of life. But every now and then I find myself missing the way we did family. I miss those ordinary days that didn't feel ordinary at the time.

I know we can't recreate the past, and maybe that's not the point. I just wanted you all to know how thankful I am that we shared those moments. They helped shape who I am, and I'll always be grateful for them.

Maybe one day we can gather around a table again, share a meal, laugh about the old stories, and make a few new memories together.

Love you all. by @benthebuilder888

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3 months ago

by @benthebuilder888

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5 months ago

by @benthebuilder888

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6 months ago

by @benthebuilder888

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9 months ago

Heaven gained another angel. One of my favorite pictures with my dad. Dude looked like a mob boss but far from being one lol. My dad was a great person to look up to and a great example of how you should be. Patience and love. He had a lot of it. Gonna be some hard times ahead, but he taught us ways to deal with it. You’ll always be the strength we need and I know you’ll always be here to give it to us. We just have to look up. We love you dad. I’m glad you’re finally able to rest in love and peace because your soul doesn’t need to worry anymore. We will take care of Oma for you and you no longer need to worry about us. taken in Costa Mesa, California by @benthebuilder888

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10 months ago

My brother carried a weight few are ever asked to carry, and fewer still could endure.
He stood with our father in moments that required more than strength—they required heart.
Our father walked this path with faith and patience, leaving behind an example we will carry forward.
Two men I will always love—bound by faith, sacrifice, and grace by @benthebuilder888

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10 months ago

Hey everyone. If you knew my dad, please keep him in your prayers. He is nearing the end of a five-year battle with prostate cancer, and it could be any day now. Unfortunately, he isn’t very coherent due to the high doses of medication needed to help manage his pain and anxiety. Please know that we have done everything we possibly could to fight this.
So I ask that you help keep his soul and heart at peace, and let him know it’s okay to rest. He has done so much for everyone he loves and continues to fight to do more. I can see that he isn’t ready to go yet, but I hope he can rest his heart and know he no longer needs to worry. He has always worried about all of us, and I want him to know we will be okay.
He has done an incredible job being the kind, humble, and loving person in all of our lives. So again, please keep him in your prayers and help him go in love and peace. taken in Costa Mesa, California by @benthebuilder888

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10 months ago

And when night fell —
when even memory dimmed —
the stars leaned low, repeating.

A whisper cut through the dark —
gentle,
steadfast,
endless:

She will never leave my heart. by @benthebuilder888

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a year ago

I whispered to the light
to never lose sight
of the goodness you hold.

From day to night,
I asked the light
to always find you —
no matter where you go.

So if you see a glimmer
in the darkest of nights,
it’s my whisper —
reminding the light
to never let you go. by @benthebuilder888

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a year ago

The scent of flame drifts through the crackling wood.
Smoke curls slow, like thoughts unspoken.
Amongst the trees, I sit — a man alone —
reading to the night, to her, though she is not here.

"A spider has made amends to a hole of my heart.
Its threads glimmer soft, silvered by firelight,
each one a whisper of what once was,
each one a promise that silence will not echo again."

I read so she may hear, even from afar —
that peace has found its footing,
that what was stolen has been remade,
not by her hand, but by a spider’s silence
in its thinking web.

And though the woods hold no reply,
the crackle... by @benthebuilder888

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a year ago