The Women We Love
I would like to be the man who reminds other men that none of us would be here without a woman, our mothers. Good, bad or indifferent we should honor the Goddess and all the women who had a part in raising us as men. This blog is a short version of the women that I loved and how they impact my life and gifted me with the life I have:
Maria Perez: My great grandmother was for me the shining example of a person who never strayed from her inner peace. She was a woman who prayed every night and could go an entire day without saying anything and when she did everyone tended to want to know what she said and it was difficult to hear her soft tone. My recollection of her was of her long white braid that extended past her waist and the fact that she waited for us to come home from school when the weather permitted on the porch. What I learned from Maria Perez (my Spanish princess) is that life does not have to be so difficult and that with softness and clarity we can live a more connected life with spirit and with others.
Isabel Gonzalez: My maternal grandmother was large and in charge. She was the person who made certain that everything was complete and that there was money and food to sustain us at all times. We never wanted for anything because she made certain of it. She ran the household like a CEO in a company and her husband, my grandfather knew that he could depend on her to run the show while he worked. My grandmother Isabel was a power house of a woman and she taught me that women can do anything. In fact there were times when I was mezmerized at her ability to handle any crisis with a grace that seemed unique to her.
Elizabeth Gonzalez Collazo: My mother died last Friday and I can say that I did my best for her to know that I loved her. During those final moments I rubbed her arm and her feet and spoke to her in Spanish. She was a stubborn woman yet she seemed to get through the toughest times and revive herself as though a different person. She dressed impeccably and cared very much how she presented herself even if she was staying at home. She survived a two divorces and a battle with her health, experiencing one health challenge after the other, rarely complaining. What I learned from my mom was to have pride in how I looked and my home. I learned to be strong in the face of whatever life challenge appeared in my path. I am somewhat stubborn yet what I have uncovered is that it is that stubborn nature that has kept me alive in spite of health issues. My mother taught me how to dress it up, stand up straight, suck it in and walk with elegance and purpose.
Luz Maria Luna-Collazo: My beloved former wife died last November but the impact she had on my life will last forever. She was likely the kindest and most understanding person I'd ever met in my life. I can say that I fell in love with her immediately when I went to a party at her parents home at the age of about 14. I will never forget what I said to myself when I saw her: "She is beautiful and I am going to marry her". In fact at 19 we did get married. Luz was a giving person who took things in stride and rarely let anything consume her. She was centered and easy going and like my grandmother she was in charge and I would simply give her my paycheck to deposit and she took care of the rest. She was a beautiful woman and when she walked across a room people would notice and eyes would follow her path to where she was headed. What I learned from Luz is that there is such a thing as unconditional love because even after our divorce she loved me all be it in a different way. I learned that love is really more about the spiritual connection than the physical one and to this day I am honored to have been a part of her life, a woman who gave me two beautiful and wonderful daughters. She will always be in my heart and what I know is that when I pass I will once again become her husband in paradise.
There are more women in my life who I have learned from and been loved and nurtured by starting with my daudghers. I will continue to share in future blogs but for now let me say that I am a very luck man to have been loved and taught by such wonderful women. Please honor the women in your life and respect them with all of your being. Remember, we would not be here if it were not for them.
Maria Perez: My great grandmother was for me the shining example of a person who never strayed from her inner peace. She was a woman who prayed every night and could go an entire day without saying anything and when she did everyone tended to want to know what she said and it was difficult to hear her soft tone. My recollection of her was of her long white braid that extended past her waist and the fact that she waited for us to come home from school when the weather permitted on the porch. What I learned from Maria Perez (my Spanish princess) is that life does not have to be so difficult and that with softness and clarity we can live a more connected life with spirit and with others.
Isabel Gonzalez: My maternal grandmother was large and in charge. She was the person who made certain that everything was complete and that there was money and food to sustain us at all times. We never wanted for anything because she made certain of it. She ran the household like a CEO in a company and her husband, my grandfather knew that he could depend on her to run the show while he worked. My grandmother Isabel was a power house of a woman and she taught me that women can do anything. In fact there were times when I was mezmerized at her ability to handle any crisis with a grace that seemed unique to her.
Elizabeth Gonzalez Collazo: My mother died last Friday and I can say that I did my best for her to know that I loved her. During those final moments I rubbed her arm and her feet and spoke to her in Spanish. She was a stubborn woman yet she seemed to get through the toughest times and revive herself as though a different person. She dressed impeccably and cared very much how she presented herself even if she was staying at home. She survived a two divorces and a battle with her health, experiencing one health challenge after the other, rarely complaining. What I learned from my mom was to have pride in how I looked and my home. I learned to be strong in the face of whatever life challenge appeared in my path. I am somewhat stubborn yet what I have uncovered is that it is that stubborn nature that has kept me alive in spite of health issues. My mother taught me how to dress it up, stand up straight, suck it in and walk with elegance and purpose.
Luz Maria Luna-Collazo: My beloved former wife died last November but the impact she had on my life will last forever. She was likely the kindest and most understanding person I'd ever met in my life. I can say that I fell in love with her immediately when I went to a party at her parents home at the age of about 14. I will never forget what I said to myself when I saw her: "She is beautiful and I am going to marry her". In fact at 19 we did get married. Luz was a giving person who took things in stride and rarely let anything consume her. She was centered and easy going and like my grandmother she was in charge and I would simply give her my paycheck to deposit and she took care of the rest. She was a beautiful woman and when she walked across a room people would notice and eyes would follow her path to where she was headed. What I learned from Luz is that there is such a thing as unconditional love because even after our divorce she loved me all be it in a different way. I learned that love is really more about the spiritual connection than the physical one and to this day I am honored to have been a part of her life, a woman who gave me two beautiful and wonderful daughters. She will always be in my heart and what I know is that when I pass I will once again become her husband in paradise.
There are more women in my life who I have learned from and been loved and nurtured by starting with my daudghers. I will continue to share in future blogs but for now let me say that I am a very luck man to have been loved and taught by such wonderful women. Please honor the women in your life and respect them with all of your being. Remember, we would not be here if it were not for them.
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