My 3 important people

“Blog Entry Week Fourteen”

The three people that have been most important in my life have been my younger brother Erik, my father John and my uncle Dana. My family is a very small and tight knitted group. So when there is a chance to give them credit I jump on the opportunity to do so. The reason I start with my brother being my most important person in my life is simple. He has made me very grateful and fortunate for everything in life. Whenever I think of giving up or think things are too tough to deal with I just think of what my brother has went through.

My brother Erik was a baseball sports prodigy. At the age of fifteen he had a pro baseball career ahead of him locked up. Unfortunately a major injury had literally put a curve ball in his sports future. One day he decided to go surfing with a friend when the waves were big and the sandbars were deep. He ended up diving over a wave and as he was coming up from under the water he hit his head into a sandbar wall. This immediately broke his neck and he almost drowned on the spot. Fortunately his friend and the life guard were there to quickly help him to shore. Within minutes he was air lifted to the nearest hospital to have his life saved. Today my brother has been married for 16 years and has three amazing children that are all gifted as well. He is my true idol for this fact; whenever I think I have it bad or think of giving up I just think of him and my attitude immediately flips around for the better. 

Next is my father John, he has shown me that things will not always be what you want but what you need. He unfortunately has been married three times and has had three fiancés in between them too. However, through all this relationship chaos he was and still is always here for my brother and I. He took sole custody of both us at two and four years old and never looked back. My father has giving me the respect to live my life the way I have and always loved me unconditionally. He always seems to tell me at the perfect time how proud he is of me. This simple gesture keeps me grounded and shows pure love and support that’s so important for me now.

Finally is my uncle Dana, he is my father’s brother that currently lives in Torrance. He has been an important figure in my life and in our family’s life big time. For the last ten years he has been a caregiver for my grandma Patricia who’s 86 yrs old now. There is an amazing part about his ability to do this loving gesture. For the last 25 years he has lived in a so called crazy house. He has been diagnosed a paranoid schizophrenic and wasn’t allowed to leave that house without supervision but only twice a year on holidays. Now here he is for the last ten years going strong through a state program that allows him to live with his mom. As long as she is in need of care and he is capable of providing it without issues; he will be able to care give till she passes.

Writing about these three important people in my life has made me even more grateful for them and what they do. Once I finish my last sentence I will get on the phone to tell them how important they all are. This is the least we all can do in our lives; simply to give the credit to people we love when it’s due.