Gramps, 

  Just want to let you know I love you , and I miss you.  Miss hearing your soft voice, asking for coffee. I miss you teasing the great grandchildren. We will see you again. 

daddy its crazy I was showing a friend images of the house where elisa lives and it pull up a lot of homes and a picture of you was there when you were in the army I love and miss you so much I send you all my love and kisses how I wish I could hear your voice.. <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Hey grandpa, I would like to think you have come to me twice playing a joke on me. I been home two different times. And right before its time to go to sleep. I turn the light off , lay down and get comfortable. Suddenly my light mysteriously turns back on by it's self. At first I was afraid. Then I thought grandpa is being a prankster. I only hope anyway! Lol

I miss you grandpa! It's just not the same with out you. I ❤ U

Roy M. Gonzales, U.S. Army - Vietnam

What was he doing with his in-betweens? I'm not talking about the cream in between the wafers of an Oreo. And I'm not talking about the commercials in between television shows. 
I'm talking about those moments in life that only seem to be filling the time in between more important experiences.

You may not be familiar with the following poem called Link: The Dash by Linda Ellis. The essence of this beautifully written piece is that our lives are represented on a tombstone by a birth date, a death date and a dash in between. The poem makes us wonder what we are doing with the dash since that is the essence of our lives. I suspect that when we get to the end of our lives, it will make perfect sense. Yet, right now is when we should be considering our dashes.

If we take that concept one step further, we will notice that much of our time is spent in seemingly insignificant moments I call in-betweens. When we're driving home from work, the in-between happens from the point we leave the work site until we get home. When we go to the doctor, the in-between occurs in the waiting room. When we buy a lottery ticket, the in-between lasts from the minute we pay until we lose. And every in-between, just like our overall dash, is very important.

In life, our in-betweens often feel boring but sometimes they're even painful.
 
Several years ago, my Marine shipmate was experiencing some abdominal discomfort. After a series of tests, the Veterans administration's doctor diagnosed several possible causes, including agent orange and what comes with it cancer. In this case the only way to figure out the cause was to perform surgery. Unfortunately, the surgery could not be scheduled for six weeks. This in-between was excruciating for his family. All they could think about was the possibility of cancer. Luckily, the surgery revealed endometriosis instead of cancer. And while he still had a few challenges to overcome, the absence of cancer was certainly their relief.

We encounter many in-betweens in life. In fact, they probably take up more time than the events on either side. And what we do with those in-betweens determines the depth and richness we experience. To prevent missing these opportunities and to truly make the most of them, we must examine the in-betweens along the way rather than simply seeing them in our rear view mirrors.

Attention is where our focus lies. For instance, yet, it's easy for us to become distracted by, well, the many distractions in our lives. We're distracted from our families by work demands. And we're distracted from wellness by unhealthy habits. Distractions are everywhere and it's usually easier to see them after we've been distracted.

The key to attention is to maintain our presence in every living moment  to be aware of where our focus is. Unfortunately, we tend to function through habits and routines. As an alternative, we could strike up a meaningful conversation with others. Or we could use a laptop to finish the blog that was due last week. Attention means being aware of the opportunities rather than just functioning on habit or mindlessness.

Action, on the other hand, means using our attention to do something. For instance, if we're worried about upcoming test results or about a meeting for which we don't feel prepared, it's easy to let our worrisome thoughts fill our day rather than taking advantage of the time we have to do something worthwhile and productive. The thoughts distract us from more positive thinking and lead us to a less productive experience.

I feel and suggest that we have five seconds to take action on an idea or thought. If we delay and don't take the right action, then we risk avoiding the more beneficial outcomes such as getting some exercise or eating a carrot instead of a Snickers bar.

If we embrace the idea that we have control over our thoughts and our actions, we then have the ability to change our experiences. And that's pretty darn cool. But, we must practice this to be effective. It's tough to train our minds to do things differently.
 
Meditation, therapy, and self-help books are tools that can help us. As it is said, we have to just do it.

The in-betweens in life often appear as momentary windows of time and if we're not careful, we'll see them as insignificant experiences. However, these experiences add up to an important part of our lives and can ultimately define our existence. So, with a some focus and an investment in every experience, the in-betweens become more significant and make our lives richer.

So, I suggest that instead of running around our in-betweens, we make a dash to embrace them like he did. 

From my Brother Pat Garcia and Sister Betty Garcia and Me. We Marines bid this shipmate farewell with the following naval blessing. 

We and all those that passed through his life wish him ... 'Fair Winds and Following Seas.'  

U.S. Marine Corps, Vietnam - 1967-1968, Denver Mamual High School Class of 1965. 

A Para Marine with silk parachutes  Semper Fi

May this light guide your way through the path of eternity. May you rest in peace for always. Amen

Hey gramps I want to light this candle so you know I'm always thinking about you. ❤

Glad you're hanging out with glorious angels uncle Roy. Blessings to your family at this trying time.

I love you grandpa! I miss you very much. Every time I think about you I think of how funny you were. And how you would sit in your chair shaking your foot and saying cover my legs I'm cold. You would look so cute in your hats and sweat suites. Saying lina lay me down I'm tired. Lol

Aww, grandpa you are so special to me. ❤

OBITUARY

Roy M Gonzales

7 May, 1933 – 29 March, 2016

Olinger Funeral, Cremation & Cemetery - Crown Hill

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