Written By Jonathan Tung

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I’ve known Ralston for nearly my entire life, and it’s been amazing seeing him grow from a kid with boundless energy to a man with even more energy but directed at positive change for himself and the people around him.

We shared a lot of great moments together, and our group of friends was a bunch of very oddly shaped peas in a pod. All with differing personalities, interests, and goals, but when we came together it always felt like time never passed and we could just chat and laugh the day away.

I used to have these get-togethers where we’d make dumplings using my grandma’s recipe. People would wrap and I’d cook them. I remember a moment when I was in the kitchen cooking by myself, everyone else was hanging out in the living room, and Ralston came over to film with his iPhone and started asking questions about how dumplings were made, where I learned this from, and what I was doing. He’d ask about how I was able to talk to my grandma and learn the recipe when he knew my Mandarin was pretty bad, and we’d laugh. I’ll miss that distinct Ralston laugh. He was so engaged, so inquisitive, and always determined to find out the why and how behind everything. And it was a way that we connected. I didn’t realize until now how much I appreciated him reaching out in that way, whether it be dumplings, tech, or basketball.

Even now, I think if Ralston were here at his own memorial, he wouldn’t be sitting in the pews listening, he’d probably be filming and walking around, walking in front of people, and shuffling across the room, getting the perfect angle. He’d also be in his dress clothes, after dusting them off, but with sports shorts underneath because he just finished surfing and was planning on going on a 5-mile trail run after.

That’s just the type of guy Ralston was, and through thick and thin he was my best friend because we were there for each other. While we're one pea short, I know my friends and I will carry on his legacy wherever we go.