Thanks for many things

Often, without realizing it, life passes us by while we lament and consider ourselves very unhappy about the most varied things.

The Last Walk
A beautiful prayer for a farewell between tears

I'm not saying we shouldn't grieve. There are misfortunes that inevitably make us feel bad. Many of them are associated with death, something that makes us fearful not only because we know it will be the end of our lives, but also because we don't know when it will come, and that uncertainty is like a persistent shadow that sometimes prevents us from appreciating many good things.

One year ago, on August 7, 2025, at 5:46 p.m., my father took his last breath. He died surrounded by his family, after having received the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick the day before. Most importantly, he passed away peacefully. Today I could lament no longer having my father, the void he has left in my home, and the many conversations and moments we will no longer be able to share with him, but I believe that seeing it that way would mean failing to recognize the great gift we received in his life.

I have spent a year giving thanks for all the moments we shared with him, until God decided it was his time to go to heaven. Today I give thanks for my father's life and for reaching 81 years of age, while others have passed away far too young.

I feel grateful to have a father (because I still have him, since he is now in a place I hope to reach someday, and his presence accompanies us every day) who instilled in me faith and principles that are, for me, the greatest treasure he could have left me. A treasure worth more than all the gold in the world, and whose transmission required all kinds of sacrifices from him and my mother in order to give me a good education. I am immensely grateful for that.

I am grateful for having passed on to me his love for Spain, a country he served by working hard and honestly throughout his life, becoming one of those unsung heroes that abound in our society and that make life truly beautiful.

I am grateful for all the conversations I had with him, for the countless times we talked about the films I had just seen (he was a huge film buff, and I am also grateful that he passed that passion on to me). I am grateful that he taught me the meaning of the word "empathy," an ability to identify with the feelings and needs of others, which he developed admirably throughout his life. I am also grateful for his sense of humor, which tempered those other moments when he had to be serious.

I am grateful for all the walks, excursions and trips we were able to take together, exploring the seafront promenade of Panjón, the paths of Monte Aloya, the streets of Bayona, Pontevedra and Santiago de Compostela and visiting many places that I now associate with good memories with my family and to which I hope to return someday, so that I can better remember the walks there with my father.

Thank you for your life, Dad, and thank God for letting us share it with you until your last breath. I also give thanks for being able to continue enjoying the company of my mother and my siblings, in this family that is, for me, the greatest treasure the Lord has given me and one of the things for which I am most grateful.

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Photo: Elentir.