It's hard to believe it's been 7 years since he passed away, but that's what my calendar tells me so it must be true.
Does time heal all wounds? Yes, at least to a degree; it at least softens the pain of the loss. It sure helps to know that he is now in a place where you don't count the milestones of your life in years or months or days.
I don't know if they even celebrate birthdays in heaven, but Mark really got excited about birthdays--probably not as excited as his brother, David, who wanted every day to be his birthday. He always said, "Today is my birthday, the best day of the year."
I like to think they are celebrating this important anniversary of Mark's birth today, along with countless others who love him.
Mark loved to camp and would be 100% behind my plan to RV full-time. We had many campers, including a 5x7 tent, an 8x10 tent, two different truck campers, a tent camper, and a Class C motorhome. I think he loved the planning of our excursions as much as the actual trips. He would spend hours looking at maps and studying places to visit. He approached each trip with an eagerness to explore and enjoy. He found many obscure places to visit, most of which were well worth the time.
One of his favorite places to camp was Moffits Beach, in the Adirondacks. In fact, most of his family hold Moffits Beach in a special place in their hearts... it was where they camped as kids, "roughing it" in a big "Army" tent.
We've spent many a rainy day in the Adirondacks, which somehow made everything more fun. Yes, it's true. It's often the challenging days that we look back on with the greatest joy. Same old, same old days are harder to remember.
He also got to spend time camping with David and Esther and the kids, when I was unable to because of having to work. This picture was taken by Esther at one of their camping trips in North Carolina. You can see from his smile how much fun Mark was having.
That's one of things I miss most about him -- his smile and his love of life.
'Til next time...
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