05/28/2026
FOREVER and EVER, FOREVER and EVER, AMEN!!! ~Randy Travis
After 8 plus months of LONG HARD hours at the gym and climbing up and down 8 stories of stairs, Pop's (Marilyn McGill Miller) finally made the trip to Mt Laconte in the Smoky Mountains National Park. It did not matter how he felt! He got up went to the gym and worked his butt off in preparation for this trip.
To know Pop's is to know Mom. And to know Mom was to know
Pop's. I have NEVER felt or witnessed a LOVE MORE TRUE! From the time Steve and I were young we have made trips to the mountains to go hiking and adventure to the beauty of the Smokies. It was one of her GREATEST LOVES to share that experience together. In
2004 Mom and Pops made the trip by themselves and set out to hike Mount Lacaonte at ages 51. When they returned home, Mom and Pops swore that one day they would make the trip again and take Me, Steve, and the boys- Lochlan and Finn to see the view at the top of the mountain. Unfortunately, as we all know, Mom passed and we never made that trip. Last year Pops had to have two stints put in his Window Marker and another major artery.
When he came out of the procedure, He made a VOW to Mom and Himself, that no matter WHAT, we would make that trip. For the next 8 months he committed himself to his VOW never wavering or faltering only PUSHING ON.
Saturday, May 23rd, 2026, 22 years after him and Mom climbed the mountain he returned with Steve, Lochlan, Finn and Myself READY and WILLING to make the climb NO MATTER what it took. I can ATTEST to his fortitude and devotion to Mom, because with every step he took, I came behind him. Watching, Following, and at the READY! He NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! Not one time complained about how hard it was or how tired he might be. He pushed on as if Mom and He were hiking SIDE-BY-SIDE UP & DOWN the entire mountain. As much as I was there to be a part I was more there in my mind, to help him no matter what it might take. INSTEAD what happened was I learned the TRUE MEASURE of UNCONDITIONAL LOVE and what it means to HONOR THY WIFE and to be a MAN of YOUR WORD! Mom and Pops have taught me everything I know. There love MORE TRUE AND PURE as GOD'S LOVE! I will FOREVER be GRATEFUL for the UNCONDITIONAL LOVE and CONTINUED lessons I learn from Mom & Pops!
"Memorial Day is a time for remembering. This weekend, there was no place on Earth I would rather be than with my family to honor and remember my incredible mother. My dad, John, Finn, Lochlan, and I hiked Mount LeConte to place a memorial placard for her, reaching 6,593 feet to get just a little closer to Heaven in a place she had been before.
My mom was 51 years old when she stood on this mountain. Now that I am 51 myself, I am so proud of her for achieving that. There were times during the hike when I struggled a bit, and you could probably see it on my face. But you would have never seen that on her face—she was always the one encouraging us step by step.
This climb was my dad’s ultimate goal and dream, and now, at 73 years old, he made it happen. I am just so proud of him. He went to the gym and trained almost every day for months on end for this, and seeing him fulfill it purely out of his immense love for my mom is something I’ll never forget. My parents have always shared a profound faith in God and an unstoppable determination.
During the journey, I saw the happiness and sadness at the same time in Finn and Lochlan's faces. They truly knew the weight and beauty of what we were trying to accomplish as they embraced it every step of the way. It was a beautiful trip, a sacred moment, and a memory our family will cherish forever. We love you and miss you always, Mom. ❤️🏔️✨" ~ Miller
Not much I can add to this, except you could feel Mom's Angels Wings lifting our feet, especially Dad's Marilyn McGill Miller for EACH and EVERY step up the mountain and down the mountain. Her spirit and her UNCONDITIONAL LOVE live on through US in EVERYTHING we do! "I'm gonna love you FOREVER and EVER, FOREVER and EVER, FOREVER and Ever, AMEN!" ~ Randy Travis
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