hello,
I am Carl Manuel Valdez, the youngest of four children of Manuel. Along with my sisters, Josie, Cora, my brother Jimmy, and my mother Josephine, we are all so very proud of the life that our father gave us.
First of all, I would like to thank my father for my name. Not only my middle and last name that I bear of his, but also my first name. You see, my father spared me from a lifetime of "Superman" jokes. My mother wanted to name me "Clark", but my father misunderstood her, and wrote "Carl" on the birth certificate.
Born in the Philippines, and serving 3 United States wars, he settled our family in Oxnard so that we can have the opportunity to grow up as Americans. Sure, he was proud of his Filipino (and his Irish) heritage and culture, but it was very important to him that his children were raised as Americans - not to feel any racial barriers or be treated like outsiders. Although my father could speak 5 languages fluently - English was the only language spoken at home.
And my father was very articulate. I remember a time when a caucasian friend of mine had discovered through another friend's parents the uniqueness of the Filipino accent. He asks me, "hey, let's go to your house and listen to your parents." We go over there, and much to his disappointment, he says to me, "aw man, I can do it better than them."
Being the youngest, my father had already retired from active service, and he worked graveyard and swing shifts so he can take care of me. A fond memory was when used to take me to eat breakfast at the old Copper Penny (Now Yolanda's in South Oxnard) nearly everyday while I was in Kindergarten. Also, when we'd go pick my mom up at work, he'd get me one of those vending machine soups while we waited for her.
He was always willing to taxi my friends and I wherever we needed to go. While I was in Jr. High, my dad, after working all night, would be up and ready the next morning to take my friends and I to school.
I'm sure my brothers and sisters have similar memories, and many of you may have your own. But these are what my dad special to me.
He was also a great inspiration musically. He can play guitar and piano pretty well, and he could also pick up any other instrument and figure out how to play. His ability to play, and his boldness to perform, was a great motivator and inspiration for my siblings and I to continue with the creative talents we inherited from him.
10 years ago, my parents lived with me for a while at the same time my punk rock band practiced in the living room. Often times, I would come home and notice instruments moved. My mother would say, "oh, your father was playing around on them today" - and this was at the tender age of 69.
Lastly, my father was most definitely a spiritual inspiration. A faithful son of God, he just wanted to do the best for his children. God was always first in his household. He actually desired for me to become a priest. I suppose he just wanted me to know God and the Truth of His Word.
I have endeavored to study the bible and increase my knowledge with biblical research and studies. I have learned that God loved us so much, that He gave His only begotten son so that all we had to do was believe upon His son Jesus Christ, and we can have spirit life, and have communication with God each and every moment of the day. He gave us His Word, which is His will. He called us out to be His very own so that He can love us and take care of us.
And He gave us the Hope. The Hope of His Son's return. So throughout the evils of this world, and times like now, we know that in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, His son will return and that we will all be together for eternity. Without death, sickness, sadness, strife, old bodies. But eternal spiritual life.
I know that my father knew that when he fell asleep. I am comforted knowing that his next waking moment will be the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And we will all be together again. With new bodies and new minds. Maybe we can go to breakfast, or just jam on guitar. Or just to get to know him even better.
In closing, I would like to thank my mother, Josephine Valdez, for her undying love and devotion and commitment towards the care of my father.
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