Worst Memory

The worst day of my life was the day my uncle Mark was killed. To this day I am able to recite the day as if it was yesterday. I can still remember my last words to him, “Uncle Mark I am going to kick your ass this winter. Your Arctic Cat sucks.” Snowmobiles were our thing, I have always had a Polaris, but he went and bought an Arctic Cat, so I liked to bug him about it. On was Sunday, November 11, 2012; my mom woke me up at around 9:30am. She said to me, “Your uncle Mark is missing in the plane.” Being in a family of pilots I didn’t worry. It has happened many times with my uncle, as well as my grandpa and dad. I got out of bed, went for a shower, did my hair and makeup then went down stairs to have something to eat. My grandma was over because it is always better for us to be together so we are all informed at the same time.
That day my dad had to take one plane and my uncle took the other. My dad said he had let my uncle take off first because he had the slower plane, when he took off everything looked well, so then my dad took off. Once my dad got up in the air and started leveling out, he thought it was weird that he couldn’t see my uncle yet. My dad tried calling him on the radio, but no answer.
I remember being in the fridge getting out left overs to eat when the phone rang. My mom picked up the phone; it was my dad. I remember her on the other side of the kitchen saying, “No Brad no, it can’t be, there is no way!” as she started to cry. My grandma and me looked at each other, knowing exactly what my dad said to my mom, we burst into tears. I fell to the ground crying, I no longer had any feelings in my legs, I was traumatized, I was terrified, I was heartbroken. I could not believe what I had just heard.
Derek Bartlett wa...

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...ng area, and the hall. Walking down that isle I was balling my eyes out. I never cried, ever, in front of people, although I have never felt this hurt before. The only person I made eye contact with was Jessie McAuley. I could not tell you anybody else that was there because my mind wasn’t about who was there, it was about who wasn’t there.
The entire ceremony I cried. If I look at my cousins I would cry even harder. My sister and mom cried at moments, while me and my dad just couldn’t stop. I really enjoyed Gerard and ??? talked about memories of my uncle and when Robin and Rylee played a song in his memory.
After the funeral we went out to the waiting room and hugged many people that were there. It was overwhelming to see so many people. I believe the funeral made a big change on my feeling. It was closure; I become to open my eyes on the fact that he is gone.