Hello everyone.

I've been here and there these past two weeks. I know I've been very quiet for the most part, and there's a good reason why I've been floating about. On March 20th, my grandfather from Puerto Rico passed away here in Florida. It has affected myself and my family greatly, but we are doing our best to heal with his passing.

A week before he passed he went to see the doctor because he wasn't feeling well. Scans had shown that they found signs of pancreatic cancer. So he was admitted to a hospital and was given the okay for surgery. What the scans didn't show was that it had spread into his liver, and he had lost a lot of blood during the surgery. On the day of his passing, my mom called me saying that it was urgent that both my sister and myself be at the hospital. The day before she had told me that my grandfather had flat lined twice, and I had a feeling then that he wasn't going to make it.

After picking up my sister, I drove as fast as I could to the hospital. When we arrived, our aunt from my dad's side and our cousin from my mom's side were waiting on us. We made our way the intensive care unit where we saw our grandfather in one of the rooms. From then on, it was an emotional four hours. Our grandmother, his wife, was always next to him and never left his side. One of my uncles from my dad's side was there along with my dad's mom and so were my mom's sisters. There were even a few occasions when friends of my grandfather showed up to watch him and say their good-byes. My dad and my other uncle weren't able to be there though. For my uncle, he had work to do, and my dad left rather late and was caught in traffic going through Georgia on the way here. In a way, it was good that they weren't there because I know both of them wouldn't have been able to handle themselves well especially my uncle.

I know I could go on and on about what happened that day, but I'll keep it as brief as possible. I just know that I'll never forget the sounds of the machinery that tried to support my grandfather during his final hours nor will I forget being there when he left us. It was really hard to be there for his final hours. I don't recall walking very slowly as though a huge weight has been put on me. When we left the building, it just seemed that everything around me hasn't changed. All I could think was how can anyone be so normal. Don't they realize that a great man has passed away? It was when I realized that life goes on, and there's nothing you can do to change it. We all have a course we go through, and it's the choices we make in our lifetime that defines who we are and those around us.

He was a great man, and there's hardly anyone like him these days. He was an inspiration to many that have known him well including myself. He accomplished many things in his lifetime, and he went on peacefully. I was told that his big goal in life was to live to 100 years old. That is a very good goal if you ask me because you want to try to accomplish many things before you reach that age.

It's been a very surreal feeling knowing that he's not here anymore. So next time I see my relatives from Puerto Rico it will take some getting used to that fact. However, I know that he's in a better place watching over us, and I'm thankful to have been a part of his life. He's done so much for myself and my family that I am truly blessed to have had him as my grandfather.

I recently finished Far Cry 3, and there was a tune that played during the end credits that I found fitting with what I've been going through. It's the main theme from the game, and this is how it goes.

Far Cry 3 Main Theme

To Ismael Martinez, you will be missed. I love you, Papito.