Remembering my Father

Today is 14 years since my father passed away. Here is his story and what has been left in my heart in these 14 years:

My father, Nestor Manuel Castro, was a father to two girls, a son, a brother, an uncle, and a husband. My father was born and raised in Puerto Rico where he met my beautiful mother. My father always had an alcoholic problem and as well with drugs. My mother and father tried for 6 years to have my sister and I even when the dr's would tell them they wouldn't be able to have children! God is good! My mother and father moved to Texas where they brought the both of us into this world. My father went to the Vietnam War which was one of the causes to his death later on in the years. We grew up going to a Catholic church which we always wanted daddy to go with us but he just went a few times.

My father didn't do things right in his life but I still love him and always forget the things that I saw in my 14 years.

I will never forget the day I found my mother sitting in my room writing a letter to him for a divorce and she just wept. She loved him but didn't love the things he did and didn't want us to suffer any longer. I remember waking up in the middle of the night listening to her weeping and I asked her "Mommy what's the matter?" I had already knew just because of so many years of seeing my mother suffer to his alcohol and drug problem.

The next day when we got home daddy was gone with some of his things and the house felt so empty. This was in 1993 but daddy still loved mommy very much even with having to do such a hard decision of separating our family. The divorce was final sometime the end of 1993.

Daddy got introuble for some reason and has in jail. I remember going to see my dad at the jail and just wanting him to come home. He always told my mom, sister and I that he loved us so much. I know my father loved us so much he just had a problem.

A few months after being in jail we get a call that daddy is sick. We find out he has cancerous tumors in his lungs that are spreading seeds to where there were two in his brain. They surgically removed the 2 tumors in his brain and thanks to our Heavenly Father those two where NOT cancerous!

After the brain surgery daddy started losing his memory. We were in the VA hospital one day for some reason and I went with my mom and sat right next to him and when I got up to use the restroom he asked my mom "who is that?" When my mother told me this it was so hard for me to understand as a 14 year old. Mind you I did not have a relationship with my Lord & Savior.

My father passed away on October 30, 1994 of cancer. The cancer had taken over and with him going to the Vietnam War he was diagnosed with Agent Orange.

May you rest in peace daddy... I love you!