Thursday, May 12, 2016
As a great conversationalist, Gene navigated his native language as well as English which he mastered despite all he encountered on so many levels within all that was foreign to him. Those experiences were in part the driving force behind him proudly instilling in his children, both languages complemented with the exposure of his Borinqueño roots and culture.
He had become a well hodgepodge reader honing a deep curiosity and an intelligence always with an appreciation for a good mental challenge. He became resilient and resourceful with his own independent thoughts, views and values, although he valued external approval. Perhaps unbeknownst to him he was seeking the interior validation of his own greatness.
He was considerate, compassionate, and always had a warm heart for those less fortunate, always giving without any expectation to receive. He genuinely enjoyed friends and family, sports, politics, and his bucket list of traveling, but he mostly enjoyed his private moments as a praying poet with God and his soul.
The sound of Gene's voice, his laughter as well as his smile, his hand gestures, his facial expressions, his jokes that sometimes were not always as funny as he thought, his GQ-ness bow ties, vests, and double breasted suits, shaded eye glasses, distinctive swagger, his love for a strong Bustelo, cooking, Salsa and Christian music, will always be etched in our minds.
I share herein sentiments and thoughts that perhaps I and others have or have never voiced or voiced enough in acknowledgement of his light be it directly to him or otherwise. You see, before arriving into his mama's womb, his life script's was design to a be teacher in some capacity to all of us, perhaps it escaped even his own humble mind.
A couple days prior to his hospitalization I was fortunate to learned at a deeper level to behold Gene for all that he processed and represented as an expression of life on our planet. I was able to give witness to Gene and his Soul. His soul's intention and primary service to our planet and humanity was to acquire knowledge and impart knowledge, with the principle focus on being the best person he believed he needed to be. His inner prayer was to be successful at something, but mostly to be successful in loving and being loved unconditionally. It makes sense his internal compass directed him in all the arteries and veins circulating the department of human relations and emotions, that which mattered the most - an open heart. At the core of his being he was that connective tissue via his actions of service extended to his parents, siblings, nephews, other family relatives and friends; and most particularly to the love his life [wife] and his heartbeats [his children] that he adored. Therefore, he placed his imprint on us, enriched and blessed us as a son, brother, nephew, cousin, husband, father, grandfather, Compadre, Godfather, friend, a work colleague, a military man, a master of several trades, a caregiver, a mentor, a guide, a seeker of higher spiritual awareness, and a child of God who ultimately became our earthly warrior, champion, superman, hero, our celestial angel.
Gene was and is a beloved prayer of GOD, a Colleague of the Christ Light entitled, deserving and worthy of inner healing peace. In the depth of his being there was a realization that he was fighting a battle he might not win. And so, he reached that safe space, trusting his own will and God's will as one. In his higher wisdom he chose to cross the absolute bridge of the magnificent light and thus entered eternal grace.
The one greeting endearment Gene use with my sons was "Hey big guy." And so I say directly to my Compai Gene, "Each of us have felt and experienced your love for each one of us. We give thanks for who YOU have been, are, and will always be [a gift] to all of us on this Earth plane as well as to those in the Heavens - a Big Guy - a loving blessing. Your light will always remain alive in our heart's memories.
We love you!
