A very sad month this March. Cecelia’s mother Westein Boston Estrada died March 14 in Pasadena. Of course, my great debt to Wes is that she brought Cecelia into the world. She also let me into her world, which was a hard working positive place. She brought her children up much by herself, working long hours, to keep the house bill met, and keep the kids on the path. Very remarkable. Very spiritual.
Wonderful to visit in Chicago. She would paint. She would make tamales. She appreciated things. I remember her bringing in the battery of her big black Galaxy between outings, to keep the Ford from being stolen. That is tough, but she was up. Life was hard, and she’d feel blue, but always happy to see you, to see family, to see the kids. Everyone was happy when they were with her, and full of fun though a teetotaler. I’d tell her a story, she’d say ‘Mercy!”
She would thoughtfully send a little money to us, and say 'I am sending a skinny check.' Good humor.
These two pictures here do little justice to the great soul of Wes. But she didn’t take much to pictures. The one below is when we went to Arlington Park with Sam Burckhardt. It’s that portentous time between races. Wes is looking at some far place. She is resting. She is also protective of her grandson. Sam Burckhardt is looking far too. Jacob has a bottle. [By the way, she did not bet; she'd spend hours looking at the horses names, and making mental choices; but for her to bet, it was against her ethos.]
The one at top is the Brown Buddha mode. Way we will remember: She is at peace. Today her services take place in Pasadena. Jacob and Cecelia are there and I am 500 miles to the east in Gilded Palace Land. But my spirit is over the mountains with the family gathered - God bless my Wes I am sure. Move on up a little higher..
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