The first issue being, I am ME, my last name has nothing to do with you, and your opinion was not warranted! Second, seeing as how my soon to be husband has no issue with me hyphenating my(his) last name, neither should you! =)
Now that that's out of the way, we can move on!...
If you have ever taken the time to speak with me about my family, you would know that I am extremely proud of my family history and who I am.
I am proud to be a Lopez!
My Lolo(grandpa), born in Spain and orphaned in the Philippines at a very young age; lived in poverty, smoking cigarettes as early as 7 years old. Although the odds were against him, he never gave up hope and continued to prosper.
My Lola(grandma) was the oldest of 11 children. When she was a teenager, she had to have her appendix removed with no anesthesia (yup! She's definitely a fighter!). While recovering in the hospital, my Lolo spotted her and kept coming around to serenade her; he LOVED to sing and play the ukulele!
Not long after that, my grandparents were married during World War II and endured some pretty difficult times. At one point, my Lolo was forced at gun point to dig his own grave because they thought he was a guerilla soldier. Trying to escape the Japanese, my Lola (who was pregnant at the time), had to hide in a hay truck in which spears were shoved through to check for people trying to escape. As the war went on, they both managed to stay alive, and ultimately my Lolo was able to join the United State Navy. Through joining the Navy, my Lolo was able to eventually move his family to the United States. He served through World War II, The Korean War, and The Vietnam War. During the early days, racism was of course very much alive and he was only allowed to be a steward. With time, came change and one of the things my Lolo was most proud of, was being the first Filipino enlisted man to have a son (my father) graduate from The United States Naval Academy.
My Dad came to the USA when he was in grade school, and as a first generation Filipino-American, did extremely well (in my opinion). My Dad and Auntie were always pushed by my grandparents to do their absolute best. They weren't even allowed to speak Tagalog in the house, because my grandparents wanted their English to be perfect. My Lolo and Lola made tons of sacrifices to make sure my Dad and Auntie had the best education; sending them to Prep Schools and Boarding Schools.
After my Dad graduated, he served with my Lolo in the Vietnam War. My Dad was a pilot and flew C-117's in the war, and was also trained in flying F-9's and F-4's. Eventually, my Lolo retired as a Master Chief (E9), the highest rank an enlisted man can earn!
The 20 years that I was able to spend with my Lolo, are memories that I hold close to my heart. From pushing me in my stroller as a toddler and singing to me, to sneaking me treats/money, and attending every single one of my soccer and basketball games during high school. He made sure his family was always taken care of, but more importantly he always gave back to the less fortunate. Nothing he did went unnoticed! He could sit and tell stories for hours... about being an orphan, how he wooed my Lola, war stories, world travels, etc. If there were ever hard times, I didn't know, because he never showed it. He was the rock of our family; always happy, always smiling, always singing!
My Lolo is still my inspiration till this day. His selflessness is unmatched; I can't even fit all the stories into this little(long) blog. He is what my core values are made of and every single day, I strive to be a little bit more like him..... Amado 'Al' Lopez!
Lopez!
Lopez-Weaver!... it's a mouth full, but I don't mind.
Now, in no way am I saying other women aren't proud of their family history by taking their husbands last name. That is each woman's personal choice. However, if you really know me, you know that when I'm passionate about something, it's extremely hard for me to not let it be known and be heard.
With that said, I am proud to soon be Lindsey Lopez-Weaver!
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| My Lolo's first time on American soil (San Francisco) after the Korean War! |
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| My Lolo, Lola, Dad, and Auntie Gail in the Philippines. |
**in no way do the stories in this blog
do my family history justice, they are
just a short glimpse of some of the
stories I remember!
do my family history justice, they are
just a short glimpse of some of the
stories I remember!
-LL
