Love Ya Gramps :)
This is definately the strangest journal entry I've done. I believe that spirits continue to walk the earth and/or watch over us from a different realm. With that in mind, I'm writing this in hopes that my Grandpa sees this and knows how much I Love and miss him. Jesse Herrera was his name. To close family members, he was known affectionately as "Grandpa Guero." Why the "Guero?" You ask. Well, to further explain...He was born in Mexico and had a set of wonderfully blue eyes, and a light complexion to match. You know...just like a Guero. During our younger years, my bro. and I would sleep over our Grandma/Grandpa's house. It was fun. We usually hung out w/my aunts. Despite the fact that each of them dropped outta high school and lived at home, my Gramps loved them. I still remember waking up in the morning and watching him set out the doughnuts & cookies he got for us at Cal Bakery (Calumet Bakery...local, small, family operated...which from what I've seen as of late, is expanding). It never failed...every morning was great. The smell of freshly baked doughnuts filled the air as he whistled a tune.
He worked the docks for years. Being that he immigrated to the U.S., naturally those kind of jobs are pretty much the only choice. I admired him though. He was a very well spoken man. Loved working on cars, getting dirty, Gambling (at the tracks,lol), and unfortunately Smoking cigs. He had been smoking since he was 13 and never thought to quit up until he was in his late 50's. What I admired most was his commitment to his wife and kids. He was genuinely happy around them and he was never afraid to ask his wife to dance w/him. Because of the time they grew up, I'm sure their love seemed boring to some. But not I. That was true love. It radiated whenever they were near one another and I'm glad to have experienced that. They were a good looking couple from beginning to end. A match made in heaven so to speak. Unfortunately and all to soon, he was taken from all of us in '97. The cause of death was his smoking (naturally). There was a period where he was in and out of the hospital a lot b/c of heart problems until finally one day, he lost the battle. That was definately a sad day for me, mainly 'cus in '97 we had just moved out here to El Paso and we found ourselves flying back to Chicago for a few days. It was definately hard on me, but I supressed it...and haven't found it any easier to deal w/since.
June 2005: My bro, mom & I took a trip out to Chicago for about 2 weeks. We needed to get away from El paso for awhile, and my mom needed to get away from...my dad. To make a long story short, my mom met a dude who can contact and speak to the dead (similar to john edwards). She set up a "reading" to be done over the phone while on vacation. Suprisingly, my grandma was somewhat anxious in taking a listen. So, everyone gathered around downstairs. Everyone except for me that is. My bro, uncle, and I sat upstairs and watched my beautiful newborn cousin. Take this for what it is...she started crying for mom, so this led me to stroll downstairs (in time for the reading) and tell my aunt her daughter needed her attention. Everyone coaxed me into staying downstairs. My grandpa "came through" and acknowledged that he's aware of everything happening w/the family and talked to us through the medium. I didn't think he'd get to me, but then the medium asked if there was a "chachi...or chako" in the room. Immediately we all knew who this was...ME,lol. See, I was the 1st boy born into the family (in some time) back in the day and my aunts used to say I looked like Chachi (from Happy Days) when I was younger. The end result was the nickname Chacho (mixture of Chachi and muchacho). It was through the medium that I was told my Gramps still loved me, said I'd meet a girl, and told me to be careful. It hit hard, and it hit even harder when he pointed out he knew my bro was upstairs watching tv. Something told me, it was indeed him...and I didn't have to question it.
Ever since then, there's been some kind of closure. But, I still miss him and it still hurts to talk about or even think of him. I'm finding it hard to even type this,lol. I guess he's been on my mind lately, and I just need to be letting this out. To conclude, he was a truely wonderful, caring, warm, funny individual who I absolutely aspire to be. I Really do HOPE/PRAY that in my life, I turn out to be HALF the man he was so that I can see him again some day.
I miss you dearly and I just want you to know that I Love you grandpa :) Not a day goes by where I don't think of you. 'Till we meet again.
Love Always,
Sergio "chacho"
He worked the docks for years. Being that he immigrated to the U.S., naturally those kind of jobs are pretty much the only choice. I admired him though. He was a very well spoken man. Loved working on cars, getting dirty, Gambling (at the tracks,lol), and unfortunately Smoking cigs. He had been smoking since he was 13 and never thought to quit up until he was in his late 50's. What I admired most was his commitment to his wife and kids. He was genuinely happy around them and he was never afraid to ask his wife to dance w/him. Because of the time they grew up, I'm sure their love seemed boring to some. But not I. That was true love. It radiated whenever they were near one another and I'm glad to have experienced that. They were a good looking couple from beginning to end. A match made in heaven so to speak. Unfortunately and all to soon, he was taken from all of us in '97. The cause of death was his smoking (naturally). There was a period where he was in and out of the hospital a lot b/c of heart problems until finally one day, he lost the battle. That was definately a sad day for me, mainly 'cus in '97 we had just moved out here to El Paso and we found ourselves flying back to Chicago for a few days. It was definately hard on me, but I supressed it...and haven't found it any easier to deal w/since.
June 2005: My bro, mom & I took a trip out to Chicago for about 2 weeks. We needed to get away from El paso for awhile, and my mom needed to get away from...my dad. To make a long story short, my mom met a dude who can contact and speak to the dead (similar to john edwards). She set up a "reading" to be done over the phone while on vacation. Suprisingly, my grandma was somewhat anxious in taking a listen. So, everyone gathered around downstairs. Everyone except for me that is. My bro, uncle, and I sat upstairs and watched my beautiful newborn cousin. Take this for what it is...she started crying for mom, so this led me to stroll downstairs (in time for the reading) and tell my aunt her daughter needed her attention. Everyone coaxed me into staying downstairs. My grandpa "came through" and acknowledged that he's aware of everything happening w/the family and talked to us through the medium. I didn't think he'd get to me, but then the medium asked if there was a "chachi...or chako" in the room. Immediately we all knew who this was...ME,lol. See, I was the 1st boy born into the family (in some time) back in the day and my aunts used to say I looked like Chachi (from Happy Days) when I was younger. The end result was the nickname Chacho (mixture of Chachi and muchacho). It was through the medium that I was told my Gramps still loved me, said I'd meet a girl, and told me to be careful. It hit hard, and it hit even harder when he pointed out he knew my bro was upstairs watching tv. Something told me, it was indeed him...and I didn't have to question it.
Ever since then, there's been some kind of closure. But, I still miss him and it still hurts to talk about or even think of him. I'm finding it hard to even type this,lol. I guess he's been on my mind lately, and I just need to be letting this out. To conclude, he was a truely wonderful, caring, warm, funny individual who I absolutely aspire to be. I Really do HOPE/PRAY that in my life, I turn out to be HALF the man he was so that I can see him again some day.
I miss you dearly and I just want you to know that I Love you grandpa :) Not a day goes by where I don't think of you. 'Till we meet again.
Love Always,
Sergio "chacho"