Life goes on...

My apologies for not sending thank you notes to each and everyone of you.  Y'all gave me strength and love in my time of need.  A "little late" but this is my effort to let you know how much it comforted me.



I've been away for a while.  So many changes.  Its sad how one minute you're on top of the world and the next, can't find the forest for the trees.

Its been a roller coaster ride these last few years.  I can't begin to tell you when exactly I entered the roller coaster but it picked up speed and didn't stop until May 24, 2019.  That's when "my world" made the biggest change.  This was the day my sweet, darling husband made his transition to a higher world.  Ralph F. Garza left our world to join all the beautiful, wonderful, family members that have gone before us.

Ralph had been ill, off and on, for the last four years or so. It has been a very lonely time for me knowing that something was wrong, unable to do anything.  Ralph did all he could, going to doctor after doctor, and in the end everything was too late.

He wanted to be cremated and have no services whatsoever.  I wanted to celebrate his life.  A life filled with so much love.  You knew if Ralph loved you, you could feel it and you could take it to the bank.  He made you feel special, like you were the only one.

That part of his life was reflected in all his family and friends who attended his rosary and services.  His classmates all the way from elementary school at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Edinburg to his Edinburg High School Class of 1965.  Your presence was overwhelmingly full of love.  Words could never thank you for thinking of him.

To  my  Mission High School Class of 1970 classmates who adopted him  as one of our  own were also in attendance.  I can never thank everyone enough nor express the feelings of gratitude for honoring him with your presence. He was loved.

To all my friends and family, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Deacon David, Father Louis, Dr. Jesus Zavaleta and his staff, for each and every kind gesture and word you gave, thank you. To Monette Guerrero, Leo Rodriguez, Derek Rodriguez, Norma Garcia, and Greg for their kind words and participation at his service.  Thank you everyone for your generosity and especially to my daughters and my son-in-laws  for knowing what to do and doing it with grace and love.  And to those I missed, forgive me, because God knows the difference you made in this difficult time.

His death was sudden, unexpected and unwelcome even though in my heart I know he is in a better place and no longer suffering.  My heart still wants what the heart wants, his presence by my side.

For his daughters, his last words were, "Tell my girls I love them..."  They were everything in his life, his reason for living, his reason for loving, and his reason for trying to be the very best he could be.  He was a wonderful, loving father and spectacular grandfather to Scarlet and William.

And this is where everything comes full circle.  When there is death, there is also a birth.  Our family has been blessed so much.  As some of you may know, Ralph was also a Perez...on his father, Ralph P. Garza's side.  So as tradition would have it, Perez meaning pairs, our small little family is happy to announce the anticipated arrival of our 3rd and 4th grandchildren.  Samantha and Rory, along with Scarlet and William, are so excited to announce we're expecting twins.  Arrival date on or about February, 2020.  Out of respect for my daughter, I needed to wait a short while to make the announcement (not publicly anyway.).  Ralph is having a  heyday although  I'm sure he knows...

And thank God for watching over us.

Life goes on...