Friday, June 20, 2008

The Story of a Man (My Idol, My Dad, My Soul)


A man who was born and raised by a single mother in Mexico. A single mother who worked at a bar and did her best raising two boys.
A man that had no father to guide him into manhood.
A man who went to school as much as he could, but worked most of his childhood and all of his adolescence.
A man who lived through poverty and hardship.
A man who, at a young age, had more family struggles than the average boy.
A man who in the midst of all his trials and tribulations saw a light. A light that shined his destiny.
That light was her!
A man who, without searching, found his true love, his soul mate. Finding his true love finally completed his journey of the man he was trying to become.
A man who married his destiny and moved to another country in pursuit of a better life for his wife and himself.
A man who, upon arriving to this country, finally met his father. The father that was never there for him, the father that he never knew.
A man who gained a father and a family of brothers & sisters much to his surprise.
A man that had to adapt to a new culture, a new language, and a new family.
A man that was over-whelmed with emotions of establishing a relationship with the father he had long yearned for.
A man that was not initially accepted by society and by his new family.
A man who established a new life, a new career, and a family of his own.
A man who was faced with being a father, a role that was never present in his life.
A man who made many mistakes as a father, due to the lack of knowledge of what it took to be a father.
A man who took his children to church every Sunday.
A man who made success of his career.
A man who surpassed his own expectations as a provider, a husband, and a son.
A man who brought his mother to this country so he could care for her as she did for him.
A man who brought his brother from Mexico in hopes he would create a better life for himself.
A man who was faced with the most tragic thing a parent could endure; the loss of a teenage daughter.
A man who felt that when his daughter passed a part of him passed with her. A piece of his soul was gone.
A man who lost the one woman who cared for him and nurtured him: his mother.
A man who became a grandfather and tried to mend the mistakes as a father with his grandchildren.
A man who was diagnosed with Cancer and survived
A man who has dedicated his entire life to make his wife happy.
A man who has overcome obstacles in his life that are unimaginable.
A man who has inspired me to become a better man.


This man is my maternal grandfather Jesus Gonzalez. My grandfather's story is just so inspiring to me. I truly value him as my grandfather and I admire him as a man. I have a very special relationship with him and my grandmother. I contact them often and I even make it a point to visit them. I am lucky to have them in my life and I have stated that if I ever become half the man that my grandfather is then I have become the man I need to be.

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