Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, papa!

My dad passed away five months and one day after Byron and I got married. He was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was one year old and passed away 21 years later.

He was a great dad! When I look back at my life circumstances as a child - father sick for so many years and parents separated and divorced when I was young - I am amazed of how well my parents raised us in spite of those things. He was always supportive of my mom and of our American culture, to the point that he would send us every year to the States (mother's ticket and full expensis included) to visit my family in Illinois.

A few memories that stand out about my dad:
- When I was very little, maybe 3 or 4 years old, he would put me in the car and take me for a ride every morning and look for dogs.
- When my parents were already separated, he would come EVERY afternoon after work to visit us. He would park the car outside and we would go out and visit with him. I would sometimes take my homework with him and he would quiz me with questions. I was always amazed of how intelligent he was and how he could still remember so many trivial facts from school
- My sister and I would go on "daddy dates," which consisted of him taking us out on Saturday evenings to a mall. He would each hand us $20 pesos, which today may be the equivalent to maybe $80 pesos ($6 dollars) and have us go find something to buy for ourselves. He would then sit in the food court and wait for us with a coffee cup in hand. And then when we were done, we would eat dinner together there.

The thought of him not meeting his grandoughter brings tears to my eyes. I know he would have been so happy and loved her so much. I can just see him as I bring her to his bed for him to look at. He cannot hold her, but his smile says it all. He is in love with her.

A dream come true - my dad walking me down the isle to get married.