Because thank you is never enough…
To my heart and mind, parenting is the most self-sacrificing role anyone can play throughout their life. It calls for the most unimaginable deeds of selfless acts for many years after the birth of a child.
This page pays tribute to our parents through both words and deeds. Mom and Dad, thank you will never be enough.
Our father served in the U.S. Navy from September 1, 1950 to April 8, 1954 aboard the USS Sproston. It remained his most meaningful and profound task in life. Never did he share stories or offer any specifics about what he experienced. It took many years to understand that words could never convey all that happened or how he made sense of a time when his identity was forming as a young man serving the country he so loved. The depth of his loyalty and affection for the men with whom he served was undying and evident until his passing. During one of his last stays in the hospital, I gave him a Teddy Bear dressed as a sailor that played Anchors Away. He wept like a baby and kept it by his side until the end. Dad loved being a veteran and stood proud in his service.
I live with a rock-solid awareness over the significance of honoring and supporting one of our nation’s strongest resources. Most regrettably, they are also among our least appreciated and most affected by trauma, abandonment, and physical compromise. So, to honor our father’s memory, I will be supporting TADSAW, TRAIN A DOG SAVE A WARRRIOR with every client served. Two lives are protected through their process. TADSAW saves rescue dogs who are then trained to become medical service animals. They are paired with a veteran who lives with PTSD, MIADS, and other life compromising symptoms. The partnership provides mutual affection and safety.
If you wish to support TADSAW or learn more about the organization, please go to https://tadsaw.org/ for more information. You may also contact them to pay tribute to a family member or friend who is special to you.
Veterans are national treasures and need to be treated as such.
To say that our mother fed half the population in Laredo, TX and countless animals is to reveal just one clue over the generosity her heart possessed. She left with a legacy of courage and fortitude that makes us, her sons, so very proud. From a young age, she was the embodiment of a strong independent woman. Growing up in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, she was a part of a generation when women were not expected or encouraged to speak their mind. That practice was compounded within her family’s dynamics. Consequently, the balance between finding and using her voice and social decorum became a lifelong test in navigation. She grew up with 4 brothers and 2 sisters. She was the only girl in the household, including her mother, who learned to drive. “The only girl in the family who drives” became a metaphor and the tipping point for the rest of her life.
She was a career woman who received a lot of criticism for being both married and independent minded. She was a rock-solid pillar of strength. Nonetheless, serving people brought her immense joy and feeding others was what she was known for especially.
Our mother will be honored through donations to food banks or to assist students who struggle paying for their lunch. I can’t think of any other act that would fill her eyes more quickly with tears of joy. I can hear her telling me to figure out a way to include pan dulce (sweet bread) for each of their meals.
