Ten years ago today we celebrated Mark and said goodbye publicly to Husband, Father, Son, Brother, and many other titles Mark wore amongst family, friends, and co-laborers. My kids posted a couple beautiful tributes on January 7th, - the day ascribed to his death. I waited til now, because this 2011 date seemed to seal a long, long season and, in some ways, is more prominent now in my memory than the earlier January date. ~ We miss Mark. We’ve come a long ways. We’re still processing, or maybe re-processing. On the 7th, Levi, Bree, and I visited a local winery and sat outdoors to “check in” and reminisce. “You guys okay?” “How does your heart feel today?” “Anything churning? Unfinished?” – We actually had a wonderful, healing time together. We laughed and cried and told lots of stories, - the beautiful, the goofy, the maddening, the sad. Ultimately – the thankful.
This picture is one that so captures Mark. He loved the ocean, but even more, he loved the great expanse and the horizon. He was always looking OUT: where can I go? what can I do? where can I help? I do believe that’s how most would remember him. ~ I’m thinking of him today. And though I haven’t posted in awhile and I’m just popping in for a moment, I wanted to honor Mark and thank many of YOU who were part of his journey. Some of you still reach out to me every January and I appreciate it.
My mom recently had a dream of Mark coming to visit his kids. She said he looked happier and healthier than she had EVER seen him. And he rode in on his skateboard. 😊 Hallelujah!
