Help for Friend's Father's Burial

Hello,

I'm Brandi and my best friend just lost her dad to COVID.  As many of you may have experienced, this comes on very sudden for her and her family. Any donation to help lay her dad to rest will be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

I meet my best friend Catherine over 20 years ago. Her family took me on as one of their own and I will always have love for her dad. He was definitely the life of the party. No matter what, he always seemed to try and make you laugh or smile. He loved to cook and I remember when he taught me how to make authentic Mexican salsa, if you ask his sister she's going to tell you that his salsa is way too spicy but that's how he showed me how to make it and I'm never going to change it. 

 When he was serious about something you couldn't get him to change his mind and if he loved you he worried over you even if it was the smallest thing. Every time Cathy tells me about a conversation she had with her dad I always know that it will start with "Mija" which means daughter in Spanish, and after that who knows what he was going to say. We would always laugh because, like most dads, he just wanted her to be safe but he would give her the most random advice. 

 One time he was super adamant about her not walking behind parked cars in parking lots, he kept saying that people never pay attention to when people are walking behind them as they reversed; "Mija, I'm serious, I don't want to hear about my daughter getting hit by a car in a parking lot". I remember replying, "So where does he want you to walk, in the middle where the cars are driving down the parking lot?" We just laughed but of course now I'm super aware of when I'm walking in a parking lot so no one hits me with their car. 

He always treated me like family and it really hurts right now because he left behind 5 children and 6 grandchildren who still need just a little bit more time, more laughs, more stories and of course more salsa. But, I'm grateful that he raised my best friend. She's the most kind, loving and supportive person that I know. I know that he was proud of her, this summer she graduated with her BSN and just passed the state board of nursing exam. He was her first patient and she did a hell of a great job advocating for him, she was placed in a tough spot and she rose to the occasion just like he knew she would. I'm SO proud of you Catherine. 

I know that although he wasn't perfect he always tried to make things better, he always showed up (that's what really matters) and you knew that he loved you. I will always remember him and I'm really hoping that his soul is at rest and his heart is at ease because he did a great job with what he had in life. 

We never know what life has in store for us, we only see how truly blessed we are by the people that we have in our life and James Estrada was loved.

Thank you for reading this and thanks for all of your love, prayers and support.