Saturday, July 23, 2011: It never gets easier to leave you behind Sam. I was so excited to see you today. It still seems surreal that as your Dad I can only see you for 6-hours a week, even on my birthday. Never mind all the holidays I have missed. I don’t listen to the radio on the drive back from Mexico. I don’t watch TV or movies or even listen to ballgames. I listen to the wind wisp by me as I drive with the windows down…thinking of you. My heart aches and sometimes that makes me cry and sometimes it makes me smile. Crying is easy to understand, smiling may not be. The smile is recognizing the bond we have despite these seemingly insurmountable odds. The smile knows my blood runs through your body and with that is an innate toughness that cannot be explained but rather experienced. Adriana Coronel Tenorio (AKA Adriana Howitt Coronel, Ari Coronel, Ari Coronel Tenorio, Ari Howitt, Ari Howitt Coronel) is figuring that out every day.
Thank you for the precious pictures for my birthday. You made a flower farm with these pictures, folding them in a certain way to resemble a flower and putting them on sticks so they can stand tall in the ground. Then it was face painting time as well as hair sculpting as you told me I look like Bonito Juarez when you were done. Cute.
Adriana and I had an interesting conversation. I was flattered she made an effort for my birthday. It’s hard to hear about your trip to Mexico City because she has denied letting you see my family all these years. You have been kept from the other side of your family that is dying to spend time with you. I heard a great deal about your trip and all the family from Adriana’s side that you got to see. It is a bitter pill to swallow. I am disgusted and fed up with all of this.
Be that as it may, I am happy you are back. It was great to see you. I am so lucky and blessed because most father’s in my position don’t have this opportunity. I LOVE YOU SAM! C U SOON!
