Trying to Heel…

Hi There…

I’m not quite sure what to write about yet… but I just wanted to let you know that I’m still here.

This has been the hardest week of my entire life. I am still in Texas right now with my mother and brother. We are slowly working on picking up the pieces.

I know writing is a part of heeling. I plan on resuming my regular blog post within the next week or so… so don’t leave me 🙂 I’ll be back… I promise 🙂

My brother and I spoke at my father’s funeral. This was incredibly difficult… but we had to do it. He was such a wonderful man… and we wanted everyone to know it.

Here’s what we said:

Our father believed that friendships are shaped and nurtured more like family. To our dad, his friends and his family ran along the same threads and fibers. Our father was known for his loyalty and his passion.

Fifteen years ago, our father’s health took a turn for the worst. But in his typical fashion… he fought and he fought… and he fought.

(Luis) My dad was a client, a patient, a co-worker, a friend, an uncle, a nephew, a cousin, a father-in-law, a grandfather, a brother, a father, a husband, and a son.

My dad and I had a close relationship, growing up he supported me in everything I did. He was there at every practice, every baseball game, every graduation, and every fork in the road. Throughout my life, my dad always seemed to have all the right answers. I learned a lot from him. He taught me the importance of family and friendship, respect and dedication, loyalty, professionalism, and most of all compassion.

My dad was a great individual who had a big heart

After I graduated college, my professional career took me away from my family. My dad and I would talk frequently over the phone. About 75% of our conversion was about the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, or the Stock Market. Although we talked mostly about these 3 topics, the remainder of the conversation would be my dad asking questions about my life, my work, and most of all, how I was doing. I relied on my dad a lot for work advice because as I have realized throughout my life, my dad always had the right answers. I credit my dad with where I am today, having a successful career and preparing me to raise a family with my beautiful wife. After every conversation, whether in person or on the phone, we would say goodbye with one phrase, “take care and take it easy”.

Tonight, I truly believe, with all my heart that my dad is here, in spirit, looking at everyone individually.

So dad, tomorrow, I will be saying goodbye, with one phrase, “I Love You”. Dad, I love you, and I promise, Estela and I will take good care of mom and I will make you proud.

(Estela)

I have many memories of my dad… but one that always comes back was Christmas morning. I remember waking up to the ringing of bells. My brother and I sprinted to the Christmas tree looking for Santa. My dad said we had just missed him and that he even ate breakfast tacos with him. There was a half eaten taco on the table, some cookies with bites taken out of them, and an empty cup of coffee. I watched as my dad took so much joy in our childish imagination, the laughing and grinning of his children on a Christmas morning. The joy in he and my mother’s eyes as they gazed upon the family that they had created is one of the most important memories I will ever have.

After my father’s health started to go down hill, I realized his strength and perseverance and what propelled him were his friends and the desire to see his family flourish. With my mother at his side, his companion – his friend – his life, he pushed his body from one family event family even to the next.

First to walk me down the aisle at my wedding, not only a memory I will cherish forever but the first in many incredible feats that the doctors said he would never do, but in typical fashion as you can all picture him saying to the Doctors humbly with a little laugh and sly grin “well I guess I’ll just try and we’ll see” …….of course he did it. He even danced with me and drank with all my husbands bother’s……typical – he could talk to anyone and always had a great time in a crowd.

Then he and my mother traveled all the way to Minnesota to see my brother get married. The doctor’s warned him about his health, but again he just said, “Well I guess we’ll see”. Of course he got there, with a little help from family, but he had a great time and defied the odds again.

And finally last year he got to see me become a mother and start a family of my own. He got to see his grand daughter laugh and grin on a Christmas morning just like I did as a child. He was a man completed in family, in heart and soul.

He accomplished so much in life, but most importantly he got to see the accomplishments of the family he raised.

In closing, I have always thought that the success of a man cannot be measured in his wealth or possessions, but his legacy; the relationships he built, the friendships he fostered, and most of all the family he fathered and loved.

As I look upon all his friends and family I know that my father passed away as a man wealthy in heart and spirit. He shall be carried to his lord by his friends and honored by his family for eternity

We shall love and honor you always dad.

God bless you.

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• By Estella
• June 11, 2010
• 19 comments
• Filed in Uncategorized
• Tagged in Dad