Catching up

It's been a little over two weeks since my brother passed away. I still can't believe this has happened. I just keep thinking Mark will call me any minute and this will all be over. But somehow the world keeps moving on around us. I already miss his calls and catching up over the phone. We would talk about the week's events, what was going on in sports, or plan the next visit. Over the last few months, he talked a lot about me coming down to Phoenix to hang out and go golfing. He was trying to get me and my brother to come for a weekend visit in December. I regret I never made it down to see his setup and meet his friends. Colette had planned a trip to go down with the kids in January. It was hard on him to be away from Colette and the kids each week, but he made the best of the situation. I know he made a lot of good friends while on the project there.

Colette stayed in Utah this past week following the funeral to be with her family and keep the kids busy. I'm proud of her attitude and amazed by her resilience. She's done well to surround herself with friends and relatives to get past the initial shock of it all. I'm very encouraged by her positive approach. This will serve her well in the weeks and months to come.

I can't say enough about all the support we have received from friends of Mark and Colette's, as well as friends of those of us who were related to Mark. It has been very overwhelming. We are so grateful for those who have visited with the family, shared memories, written us, donated, or been there behind the scenes. All of it is so appreciated. We know we can't thank everyone right away, but please know we are mindful of you.

In light of all the sadness surrounding Mark's passing, I'm finding there are some positive things each of us can take from it. For instance, I find myself reflecting on where I am in life and taking a personal inventory. One thing I've always admired about Mark was how prepared he was spiritually and temporally. Even though he was taken from us as such a young age, he had it all together. I believe he is in a good place right now. Surely he's sad to be separated from his family and those he loves, but increasingly aware of the bigger picture and anxious to reunite with them one day where he resides. Today, I took comfort in a couple of verses from the Book of Mormon regarding death (Alma 11:42-43 and Alma 40:11-12).

While life will never quite be the same without Mark, his example will help me carry on. He would want us to lift our chin and smile, be a little happier, find a little more humor in life and work hard to achieve great things.

-Ben