Who have you chosen as your Family?

Well of course I always have to give respect to the mom and dad, so they are in the circle. Then there is my husband, daughter, I and some of the animals. This is mostly blood relation, but I have another family that consists of my friends that I have found and put into my family list. The one that I can think of if you would ask who was first picked? I would have to answer and say Shmelvin. He was someone that motivated me and vice versa. Next would probably be those that I have met on my military journey around the world. I have a friend named Nick and he is the Batman to my Joker. There is also my Puerto Rican battle Negron, I have also made friends with my old school friends girl because she is great and I think he has made a great choice.

I would have never thought I would know a pair of twins and they are very awesome. Mye and his family are always welcome to my house, as are those that I have mentioned earlier. Well Mye has a twin and he is also a United States Army Veteran. I also made another battle buddy from El Paso and that is Arkansas Dave Rudabaugh and his wife. I find that choosing my family is better than trying to deal with my family. At least these people understand my demons and understand that not everything is easy, but they help with me being me. I have also lost some friends that I wish could have stayed alive.

When I first started working in El Paso in 2008 and I met a guy named Gus and at the time had just turned 42. We were in training at a call center that dealt with Sprint. The next year he would pass due to heart failure. Now the one that kills me the most is my friend Dio. I met Dio when I started cleaning in the Operating Room, he was a surgical technician and we started chatting and eventually were there for one another. He used to call me stalker, because I would tell him, “he I saw you pass me by wearing those beats headphones!” Labeled stalker for that, haha, we also loved the Joker, and we really adored Linkin Park, because we were both moved by Chester Bennington. When Chester ended his life I was there making sure Dio was OK, because our angel died and it was a devastation. However, I guess Dio just stopped calling and texting me, but I guess I did not notice for life was just moving along.

The best time I ever had talking to Dio was when I was working at Tohatchi, NM and I was on night shift. He called me in the middle of my shift and we were just chatting while I cleaned and got my area done. This was when he was playing video games at home and just wanted to chat. I miss you a lot Dio. We never got to play pool like we had planned. I just wish I could have been there for him. I knew he was depressed, but not how bad. This was probably the person that was to help me heal and he did, but it is just sad that he’s gone. Sorry Dio, but know that I am still here thinking of you and your spirit.