My cousin passed away last week. It has been a really hard week. It's really sad that you never know how truly amazing a person is until they die. I will miss him so very much!! And I will be forever grateful for his extraordinary example!!
I wrote this poem for him...

The Quiet Giant
Dedicated to Robert Mack McConkie
Written by Mackenzie Smith
August 27, 2009

In life there are quiet giants,
Who go struggling through their lives,
Trying to get through it,
Trying to survive.

But in amidst the struggle,
The crying and the pain,
There is something amazing,
That they seem to gain.

They gain a strength inside them,
A power that’s within,
They realize they have power,
To begin again.

They change into a person,
Who is strong and kind and true,
They find what’s deep inside them,
Something they never knew.

These quiet kinds of giants,
They do so many deeds,
They help so many people,
And fill so many needs.

They’re always helping others,
Never seeking fame,
Doing good things as they go,
Rarely leaving a name.

You may not ever notice,
These quiet giants’ ways,
But they leave their mark among us,
Every single day.

Now, these quiet giants,
They begin a lot like us,
But in their times of trials,
They grow and grow so much.

When they one day leave us,
We realize how very much,
They helped us in our hard times,
With their quiet, gentle touch.

Of all those quiet giants
With many different names,
There was one among us,
One that we gladly claim.

Our brother, cousin, child,
Grandson, helper, friend,
Let us do service like he did,
So his influence has no end.

I am determined that I will be a better person,
because of him!!

I love you, Robert!!!