The way I celebrated the first anniversary of Daddy’s passing was by fulfilling a promise I made some years ago to my mom. Before the blessings of my hard work came to reality, I told my mom that one day, I was going to help her relive her childhood. Let me tell you a little about her first. My mom was born in Cabazon Sinaloa, Mexico in 1944, the second born of five. Since early childhood she was in charge of raising the kids, her brothers and sisters. After the kids were old enough, she started working to support her mom. After that, she had my siblings and me. Almost all of her life she’s been taking care of others, making sure our family was happy and our needs were met, and in a way she never had a childhood of her own. I wanted to be able to give her that and I made her the promise that one day I would! And I did just that.
I took my mom to Disneyland! It was like watching a dream come to reality to see the little girl in her come out. She was excited to see this place that she’d heard of and was just a fantasy in her mind. Being there in person, the energy was not exactly calm and assertive, but it was perfect for the day! No one needed to lead or follow or be in control. It was all about having fun, being a kid at heart, and experiencing each moment as it came. Of course, like a little girl, my mom wanted her very own Minnie Mouse hat and had to stop at every candy shop along the way to get her fill of candies!
I want to encourage people (on behalf of Daddy’s memory) to ask someone they care about if they had any childhood dreams that were never fulfilled. Ask if you can help them achieve other ways of being or feeling whole, or if there is anything missing from their life. A good listener can grant them that dream, just like Daddy always granted people and dogs what they wanted—whether that was balance or the dream of getting to know him, or as I was able to do with my mom this weekend. The oneness we shared in the experience and being so present to enjoy the joys of a little girl as seen through my mother’s eyes was not only fulfilling a promise to her, it was honoring her spirit as a person who means so much to me and my family. Helping others achieve this sense of peace and fulfillment is what it’s all about – and a virtue I hope everyone can make a priority in their life.
