My Fathers Service

In the next coming days I will share how my family has been  coping with the loss of my father. 

For those who were interested in seeing how the service went for my father, see the link below. Thank you to the family at Providence Lutheran Church and Pastor Pattie Sue for a lovely service and for taking such good care of us all throughout the day.

VIDEO of SERVICE

Pedro Jimenez - Memorial Service 

I will also add the Eulogy below for those who just want to read that portion. 

Eulogy

My family and I would like to thank all of you who came today to remember my father, Pedro Jimenez. I think he would have liked to know that we all came together because he believed that family and friends should always be there for one another. 

I didn’t know exactly what I would or could tell you about my dad that you didn’t already know. If you gave him 5 minutes, he would’ve happily spoken to you about your life and his. 

My father came to the United States with no more then $30 in his pocket, most of it in useless pesos. He had big dreams to go along with his big personality. He lived life the way he wanted and no one could tell him otherwise. He was a hard worker, started working on only his second day in the United states. He went from washing dishes to eventually owning his own business. Even after retirement he still was working, always offering help wherever and whenever he could.

After some time in the US, he soon realized he had to sacrifice those dreams for the sake of his family back home in the Dominican Republic and eventually for the one he would create here. He never complained. Never sought accolades. He just worked harder. Every dream he had, he poured into others. If not for Pedro Jimenez, who would we be today? 

Dad never believed in taking handouts but was always willing to give one. He believed in helping family and that family should always be there to support one another. Even when he was hurt by some of those he helped, he had the ability to look past that pain or disappointment. His answer “uno no deja de ser familia,” you don’t stop being family. 

Dads thoughts on family extended out to others. He’d help the unemployable, people with addiction by giving them jobs and providing them meals. He believed in second chances. 

For me, he was everything, dad, hero and friend. As a child, I worshipped him, as a teen I didn’t want much to do with him, as a young adult, I learned to see him for who he was, a man with flaws like any other human. My biggest blessing, and I think my siblings would agree, that we had the opportunity to know our father best as adults. If you were fortunate enough to speak with him, he would tell you grand stories or ask you questions to understand you and your life better. A philosopher at heart, he never said no to a debate, whether it was about politics, religion, world facts in history or space exploration. He almost always had a joke to share or wisdom to spare. Yet, what stands out most to me was how much more loving he became as a grandfather. I got to see him do things with his grandkids, that I couldn’t imagine for myself as a child.

Dad was able to say I love you with ease and never left anyone feeling unloved. I was lucky, I could have a knock out fight about politics with my dad one minute, see him smile at me, laugh about it and still walk away knowing that I was loved. We all were.  

He loved all his grandkids like crazy. Always, spoke of his children with pride to others. And I was able to witness the depth of his love for my mother and his heartbreak to have to leave her.

I recall hearing someone speak about the importance to look for the grace, the beauty and the miracle in life and in death. I believe my father did that the best way he could. He read books from Billy Graham to the Dali Lama seeking wisdom and spirituality. My father would have wanted us all to live authentically, to be grateful, to believe in a greater power and to be happy with who you are. 

Who you were was important to him. Pa always said “Take care of your name, it is the only thing that can’t be taken from you.”

I leave you with this quote from my dad shortly before he died, he said “Lisa, my life has been full of ups and downs but I have been lucky enough to meet some great people along my journey. I am better for that. Look for the people that make you better.” This was his last lesson to teach before his voice went silent. He made me better. He made us all better and he will be truly missed.

I urge you all to look for the good in people, acknowledge the ones already in your life by letting them know that you love them.  Give from your heart because Kindness always finds its way back to you. Remember that Pa tried to find good in all by getting to know them. It’s why he was loved by so many. It is why you are here today. Thank you for the love and support you have shown my father and my family. 

Pa, I love you and I will see you again one day. 

Querido Viejo

 

You were the biggest and boldest man. You lived with courage and strength. You carried so much on your back, while others gained from your sacrifices, and you never asked in return. You always held us tight, never sought accolades and cheered on others who little deserved it. You loved us all and we all knew it. This I wrote for you.

Querido Viejo

With every passing night, I saw you slipping away from us, like a rope burning through my hands, I could not hold on. I should not have wanted to hold on. The pain was too great for us both, perhaps that is why we never spoke of it. I was fighting to keep you here. Struggling to let you go. You, were my anchor, I feel as though I am now a ship a drift since you let go.

You have always been my beacon. A bright beam of light that always drew me home. Who will guide me now? Who will be that big bright compass in my life? 

I watched you fight as you were sure to prove them wrong. You fought to the end, my father, my friend. Though we were by your side, you still felt so far away. Your terms were written and like a leaf flying in the wind, I could not catch you, I could not keep you. All I could do was stand there as you drew your last breath and set you free to sail in the wind.

My bones quickly weakened, my mind flooded with grief and the earth stood motionless. Darkness began to set in. Then, like a star in the sky, shinning its brightest, lifting me, I heard your song, I felt you near. We are not the same. We will never be the same but we must go on.

In two short weeks, we let you go, but knowing all along, you did it your way.  Now I pray that when I look up to the stars, you will twinkle brighter until it is my time to be guided home to you.

Mi querido viejo, I miss you. We all do.