Today was my beloved Uncle Mike's birthday. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us to share in his special day. We lost him almost a year ago. He was such a wonderful man, and his passing has left a giant hole in my heart that will never fully heal. He lived in West Virginia, and I was unable to make it to his funeral due to a prior commitment I couldn't get out of. My Aunt Cheryl asked me to write something to be read at his funeral, and I agreed. It was very difficult to write, but I'd like to share it now as it really sums up what he meant to me.
Writing this is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. How do you sum up an entire lifetime of love, admiration, respect and gratitude for such a wonderful man in a few sentences? Uncle Mike was like a father to me, and that's not just a figure of speech. He couldn't have loved me any more or treated me any better if I had been his own. My own Dad did not live close to me for most of my life, and Uncle Mike was happy to step in and be my surrogate Dad - not out of any obligation but just because that's the type of person he was. He's in every one of my happy childhood memories (as well as a few bad ones because Nekole and I tended to get in trouble a lot!) I loved his sense of humor, even when he was teasing us girls relentlessly, and his kind heart. I remember he would stay up late with me to watch Saturday Night Live because he didn't want me to have to watch it by myself. I was a night owl, and he would always fall asleep in his recliner and then deny it when I'd wake him up when it was over. I treasured those times when I had him all to myself. I will be eternally grateful to Uncle Mike and Aunt Cheryl for welcoming me into their lives and showing me the stability I didn't have at home. Because of Uncle Mike, I learned what a husband and father should be, and I was lucky to find a man who reminds me of him in so many ways. My own father passed away 15 years ago when my two oldest children were very young. Again, Uncle Mike stepped in and filled my Dad's shoes in my children's lives as well. We are all so thankful for the times we got to share with him. While it hurts more than words can express to have lost two Dads in my lifetime, I will feel forever blessed to have been loved by the most amazing man I've ever met or will ever meet - my Uncle Mike.
RIP, Uncle Mike. I'll love you forever. <3
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