Gemma Turns 2 & Remembering Pa

Milestone moments will make me miss my father even more…

-

I will always remember how long it has been since pa died by how old Gemma is. She just turned two and he passed away when she was 6 months old…. it has been 1.5 years. We celebrated Gemma’s birthday in the house he loved and worked so hard to get and keep, never taking out a loan even to improve or fix the house because of fear he’d lose it. In these crazy times where people have and are on the brink of losing their homes I understand my father even better. I know he’s looking down on us and saying ‘Ya vez?’

-

So we celebrated Gemma and the family and we knew who was missing though nobody said anything. I danced salsa with my mother because I knew that is what my father would be doing with her at the party. My brother cooked some mean carne asada and guacamole because that is what we do at parties with my father always leading the way.

-

I photographed a wedding this past weekend where there was a grandpa who looked and acted just like my father would at parties or any family event. He was happy and full of life and dancing with the bride and stealing the show (something my pa would often do). I remember watching him and thinking that he reminded me of the joy my father always brought to the party. A joy I was missing at Gemma’s party. Don’t get me wrong, we had a fantastic time and so did Gemmita. I’m just saying I missed him, we all did.

-

So here we are, 1.5 years later. Gemma is 2 and we are celebrating in the house that pa bought and protected for us:

Gemma meets her abuelito for the first time:

Translation:

Thank you, my Lord, for this wish that you have granted me
I praise you and bless you for such a marvelous thing
For this little person
For this jewel

I ask you Lord that you bless her always
Straighten her roads
Shorten her paths, Lord Jesus
You brought her here for something
And something you will make of her
Unleash all of your love, all of your blessings, all of your protection on her
and her adoring parents, Rosaura and Scott

I give you thanks, Lord, because you granted me my wish of meeting her
and to tell you, Lord Jesus Christ, how Great you are, how Great you are
How will I ever repay you
So many blessings
I thought I would never arrive at this point
But I have arrived… and now I can leave
Whenever you wish

Thank you, my Lord, for the beauty, for the love, for the affection…
For all these things…

-

Gracias a pa, la familia, la vida y a Dios por todos los bendiciones hoy y para siempre.

CONNECT:  | Visit me on FACEBOOK |  Follow me on TWITTER |