Today is my Uncle Mark’s 60th birthday, and we miss him very much.  After an 11-month long battle with brain cancer, he passed away August 12, about a month short of 60.  We were all hoping and thinking about how we could make this day special for him. Pam, who was a wonderful companion and a huge help with caretaking over the past year, had planned a Bob Chin’s lobster dinner and balloons galore to decorate. 

Now as the big day is here, there is no party and no balloons, just a quiet remembrance of a man who, for nearly 60 years, spent his time improving the lives of his family and friends. At the wake, all the remarks we were given were of how my uncle would drop everything just to help someone change a tire or fix something around the house.  He spent years taking care of his mother, my grandmother, during the advanced stages of her dementia. He gave, and gave and gave.

He is the only uncle that I have, and the family member who lived the closest to me growing up, so he was never extended family, just family. I learned so much from my uncle growing up.  He introduced me to music with his keyboard when I was just a baby.  He taught me trigonometry and was always explaining to me how things work. He had incredible professional accomplishments, and in spite of how much pride we have always had in his company, Path Electronics, more than that, I will remember how he taught me to whip my ice cream to make it like soft serve. I’ll remember the hours he spent helping me to produce my third grade news broadcasts.

And perhaps the best moment, I will remember the time we spent two summers ago.  I made several visits there before I left for my new job in Colorado.  During one visit, he took me out dinner and we were talking about my new job.  I was a little disillusioned because I had not yet received any support from family about taking on a job as missionary where I had to raise my own salary, mostly just people who thought I was crazy. What he told me changed my perspective forever. Uncle Mark told me that pursuing the career you love is what matters. “The money will come, but it’s not what is important. As long as you are working toward your dreams and enjoying what you do, you have plenty of time to build up your income.  But if you aren’t doing something you care about, then you are wasting your time. You should never have to feel bad or justify yourself for that.”  I have never looked at my life the same way before. 

And to honor my uncle, I will always try to make sure that I am living for what really matters—for my family, friends, my dreams, and theirs.  Uncle Mark left us a shining example of how you live for what you really believe and for what and whom you really love. He left us all with so many wonderful memories. He did not leave a life untouched, but with his generous attitude, he made each person feel loved. And we all remember him with some sadness because we miss him, some laughs because he always cracked the best jokes, and countless great stories.

Here’s to you, Uncle Mark! Happy 60th birthday! You are always in our thoughts and prayers.