On Saturday, December 6th 2025, I went to Windy Pines with Matt, Leila and Celine.  When I stopped in to see my dad on Sunday when I got back, he showed me that his ankles and feet were swollen but they didn’t hurt. We thought maybe he was consuming too much salt and not drinking enough water.  It had happened before so we were not overly concerned but I made a mental note to take him to the doctor next pay day.

On Monday while I was at work, just before midday, I received a call from him telling me that he had fallen in the kitchen and burst his head but that it was OK because he had controlled the bleeding.  He asked me to please come now but to not drive fast. 

Of course I drove fast.  When I got there, he was sitting down with a cloth on his head. He lifted it to show me and there was a big patch of dried blood. He had indeed stopped the bleeding with a huge load of salt.  He told me that he had already cleaned up the blood and that he had tried to call me but I was not answering. But I didn’t have any miscalls. When I checked his phone he had dialed a wrong number (close to my number but one digit was wrong).  He said the Chinese shop owner from beside his house had, by the grace of God, stopped by for something and found him trying to call me, so finally he was able to dial my number. My dad told me that he had just finished cooking and was turning off the stove when he had a blackout and woke up on the ground. He thinks he hit his head on a metal can that was on the floor near the kitchen island counter.

I wanted to take him to Dr. Sanchez immediately but he was out for lunch so I decided to take him to the San Ignacio public hospital to deal with the cut.  I took him to the emergency area and they took quite a while to see him because other emergencies that they deemed more urgent were all happening at the same time.  When we finally got some attention, the nurse was upset that he had put so much salt on the wound and she couldn’t find the puncture.  I offered to wash off the salt.  When we got back from the bathroom the nurse prepped him for the doctor.  The doctor commended him on stopping the wound with salt since it was a big cut that required several stitches.  Throughout the stitching my dad remained calm, alert and strong. After they had finished dressing the wound, I took him straight to Dr. Sanchez. He did some tests, asked some questions and recommended an echocardiogram in Belmopan. 

I tried to set an appointment for later that afternoon, but none was available. I asked a friend for feedback and she did not recommend the doctor that was going to do the echocardiogram.  Then I remembered that Dr. Musa was the doctor who had dealt with my dad after his heart attack in 2012.  Dr. Musa is also a gastroenterologist so I thought I would take him to Belize Medical Associates instead since my dad had been having some digestive issues for a while which caused him some stomach and chest discomfort. On Tuesday, Dr. Musa did some tests and asked my dad some questions.  Based on the responses my dad gave he too thought it might be some stomach issue or internal bleeding since the heart condition was not new and my dad was taking pills. However, it was still unclear what had caused the blackout. He wanted my dad to do an endoscopy but that would not be possible until the following day, Wednesday.  We headed back home because neither of us wanted to stay in Belize City. On the way home I had to stop several times for him to pee because he had to drink a lot of water to be able to do his urine test.  The last time I couldn’t stop in time because of traffic and he peed himself. I was mad about my seat and he was so apologetic. 

On Wednesday bright and early we returned to BMA for his procedure. Nora and I went up with him to the operating room; our cousin Ter was supposed to join us but she was running late. We told him to say his prayers before the procedure and he did.  I took a photo of him praying.  Just before the procedure, they gave him something to sedate him but his heartbeat spiked and refused to come back down. One of the technicians thought they should not do the procedure but Dr. Musa insisted they could still do it.  My dad was alert during the heart episode and he said he felt normal even though his heart was clearly beating fast. They gave him something to slow his heartbeat. He awoke quickly from the procedure and said he felt fine. The results showed that he had H-Pylori but no ulcers or bleeding.  

Dr. Musa prescribed a bunch of pills but still wanted him to do the echocardiogram Dr. Sanchez had recommended. Dr. Lin who did the echocardiograms at BMA did not have any availability until the following week Wednesday.  I asked Dr. Musa if my dad could wait or if I should get one done somewhere else.  He said my dad could wait.  We left the hospital with a ton of pills but in good spirits. My dad was feeling good enough to walk.  We went to have lunch at Baked Cafe with my sister, Nora, and our cousin, Ter.  It was a pleasant time and we joked and took pictures.  On the way out of Belize City my dad asked me to take him to see my uncle Russel.  I almost refused since it was not along the route I had intended to take.  However, I decided to take him.  When we got there my uncle wasn’t at work but his boss said she would call him to come.  We waited about half an hour and when my uncle arrived my dad was so happy to see him and asked me to take a picture of them. He scolded my uncle for not coming to Cayo for a long time and my uncle promised to come for Christmas. 

On the way home my dad spoke almost the whole way to his friend Mr. Errol Gill on the “radio” which was really my truck’s blue-tooth speaker. He savored a chocolate I had given to him.  He was in really jolly spirits.

That night I packed his pills in the order in which he should take them but he kept confusing them when I asked him to repeat the order.  I threatened to have him come stay with me if he would be unable to do it on his own.  He really loved his freedom and was not a fan of that idea at all.  He said I was confusing him because I was railing up too much.

When I got home that night I remembered praying to God to please let my dad be OK and for him to not be a burden to me.  To not let him be in a position where he can’t get up or where he doesn’t remember me. To let us find out what was wrong with him and for him to be OK again. 

On Thursday I went to work because my dad was feeling better when I called him.  I took him oats and eggs with toast for breakfast.  I called him throughout the day to make sure he was taking his pills at the prescribed time. Each time he said he was feeling better and that he was taking his pills. My friend Fidelio offered to take him a plate of rice and beans for lunch. That evening I had a manicure at 6 pm so I called my dad and told him I would stop by to see him after. I was supposed to go for tea with my friend Celine at 7 but I messaged her to let her know that I would be running late since I wanted to go see my dad first. I got through with my manicure at about 7 pm and when I got to his house my dad came to meet me at the door. I asked if he had taken his pills yet and he said no because he had not eaten yet.  So I told him I would not leave until he had eaten something. I noticed his plate of  rice and beans from lunch was still full and he said he had eaten but that it was a lot. I didn’t believe him. He said that rice felt too heavy for his stomach at night but that he still had the oats I had given him that morning so he would eat that.  I stood there to make sure he ate it. He was sitting on the edge of his bed and after a few spoonfulls I just saw him drop the container and fall backwards on the bed, spilling oats all over his shirt.  He started to make a snoring sound and although his eyes remained open they held a look that will forever haunt me.  It was like the light suddenly went out behind his eyes.  The sound he was making took me back to when my little sister was dying twenty five years prior. I immediately panicked and started saying “Dad, Dad, Dad” but he didn’t respond. I shouted for Everett the neighbor and he and my dad’s friend Dion came right away.  They told me to call the ambulance so I called the police and they promised to send the ambulance right away.  Dion started doing CPR on my dad. Everett called Mr. Alberto August who also came over right away with his wife Reina.  She quickly changed his shirt since it had oats all over it.  The ambulance arrived in about fifteen minutes and all the while Dion had been doing CPR on my dad. The paramedics brought up a stretcher and an AED…they revived my dad but each time it only lasted for a few minutes.  They told me that they were unable to take him down to the ambulance unless he was breathing on his own.  They also told me that the third time would be the last time they could shock his heart. My dad was pronounced dead at 7:30 pm.  I cried and held him. I kissed his face all over and told him I loved him. My mind played back my prayer from the night before and I cried harder because I thought this was not what I meant, Dear God! My dad’s eyes never closed until Alberto closed them.

The rest of the night was a blur but the police came to take a statement, we took him in the back of my car to the morgue and his friends all went, Everett, Mr Alberto, Dion, Mr. Earl who had at some point gotten there.  I had messaged or called Celine at some point too to tell her I couldn’t meet because something was happening to my dad and she also came to my dad’s house and went with me to the morgue. 

December 11th 2025, a night I will never forget.  I’m glad my dad waited for me though.  He literally waited for me. Barely ten minutes after I had gotten to the house is when the light left his eyes never to return. It was heartbreaking to witness but I know it was a blessing that I was there to watch him take his last breath and never have to wonder what happened if I had just found him on the floor or in his bed the next morning.

I only remember dad waking up my little sister and I one morning, and telling us to come see our mother because she didn’t want to wake up.  Groggy and confused I remember running across the dining room to their bedroom and she was just there on the bed sleeping.  Except, her lips were purple and when I touched her hand to wake her up, they were so cold. 

Ger and I shook her and begged her to wake up.  I don’t remember anyone pulling us away or telling us that she was gone.  I don’t remember what happened after that at all.  The days that followed were all a blur. I only remember for months and months, I’d sit on the sofa near the front door and expect her to just walk in and everything would come back to normal.  Or I’d look out the back window and pray I’d see her downstairs just hanging clothes on the line. I was 15 when I lost my mother.  For a long time, I was just numb and just terribly sad.  I’d be sitting down in class listening to a teacher and suddenly I’d zone out and silent tears would fall down my cheeks.  I remember going to church on Mother’s Day the May after she died and Mr. Pinelo was playing the marimba as he always did.  Without wanting to I just cried and cried as silent sobs racked my body.  I didn’t want to make a scene in church but I just couldn’t stop.  Someone came and just hugged me.  That was my first experience with death and somehow, God, family and friends got me through it. 

Nine months after losing my mother, when I was still 15, it happened again.  Dad had just woken me up after nine or ten one night, to tell me that he would be back in a little while, he was just going to drop his friend home in Esperanza.  I was just falling back asleep when I heard a snoring sound coming from the bed beside mine in our shared bedroom.  I turned over in the room that was half lit with a dim night light and said “Ger stop snoring” and rolled back over.  It continued so I got up to go wake her up.  That’s when I noticed that she wasn’t actually snoring. Her eyes were rolling back into the back of her head and her arms were twisted.  I didn’t know what to do so I tried to wake her up but she was not responding.  Soon the snoring sound stopped and she stopped moving.  I didn’t know the slightest thing about CPR but I tried giving CPR to my baby sister.  It didn’t work.  I just held her in my arms and cried and cried.  I knew that my little sister had died in my arms at just 12 years old. I remember screaming out my bedroom window, and across the yard for our chinese neighbor.  I saw him standing there peeping out near his house but he probably thought we were being robbed or something so he didn’t come over.  I ran out the house and down the street to yell for our neighbor affectionately known as Miss K.  I don’t remember much else at all.  The days leading up to the funeral were all a blur.  I just remember I insisted I wanted to read my sister’s eulogy.  Somehow, this death brought back the hurt of losing our mother and it felt even harder to bear.  I didn’t want anybody to tell me how sorry they were, or that it was God’s plan, or that it would get better, or that she was now in a better place.  I preferred the silent, wordless hugs.  I had flashbacks to the day before my little sister’s death of how she complained to me of a stomach ache and a headache, so I had made her a can of Campbell’s soup because soup was what mom gave us when we were not feeling well.  I remember too that the day before she died I had been to the Blue Hole with my friends and when I got back she told me that she had missed me and that she loved me.  This meant a lot to me because Ger and I used to fight a lot and I’m glad her last encounter with me was not one of us fighting.  I always thought my little sister died of a broken heart.  When mom had died, I had convinced her that we should get diaries and write to our mother when we felt like it.  I know she did it because I read a few pages once where she was complaining about me saying I was fighting with her and that she missed her so much.  When Ger died, I buried her diary with her, without reading it, and to this day I regret it.  I don’t know how I survived losing my baby sister, but somehow, I did.  Must have been God, angels, family and friends again. 

For 20 years after that, it was just Dad, my brother Edward and me.  I took on a motherly role to take care of my mentally disabled brother and tend the house for us.  Dad and I learned to cook and share household responsibilities.  Eventually I left home and had my own life but I still took care of dad and Ed as best as I could. One day, when I was 35 years old, my dad called and asked if I could come over right away as something was wrong with my brother.  With a calmness I didn’t know I possessed, I drove over already knowing I’d find him dead.  When I got to my dad, Edward was outside on the front porch sitting down in his favorite chair, with his eyes closed but his head limp toward his lap.  He was lifeless.  My dad just sat there staring at him with tears falling down his cheeks.  I started crying too.  Death is never easy to deal with, but somehow I felt relieved in a way.  I had always feared that my brother would die a brutal death by falling down during one of his seizures, but he died peacefully sitting down. And I had always hoped without saying it out loud that my brother would not outlive my dad because I don’t know who would have been able to take care of him.  Those who knew my family, know that my brother was a handful to deal with and only my dad could control him.  Losing Edward was hard, but this time, I did believe he was in a better place and reunited with my mom and sister who he never stopped asking about despite the years.  

Since my brother died in 2019, it was just dad and me remaining from our family of five.  I’m glad my dad was able to enjoy those last few years.  I didn’t realize how caring for my brother had restricted him from doing things or going places even though he never ever complained.  In fact his best memories was how Edward would enjoy himself just floating around in a tube in a swimming pool.  Edward’s happiness was my dad’s happiness and he missed him dearly, because at first he didn’t know what to do with all the freedom he had after having nobody to take care of but himself.  After Edward died I started spending more time with my dad and taking him places we were not able to go before because my brother would not have been able to go.  

Last year, in December 2025, I got a call at work from my dad just before lunchtime saying he had fallen and if I could please come to take him to the doctor but to please don’t panic and don’t drive fast. Of course I drove fast.  When I got home, there was a big patch of blood on the top of his head but it was dry and the bleeding was controlled by a huge dab of salt that he had poured on it. He said he was cooking when he suddenly blacked out and fell backward and hit his head.  When he woke up he was lying in blood.  He cleaned it up before I got there so I had no idea how much blood he had lost.  I took him to the doctor to get it stitched up and I remember thinking what a tough little old man my dad was.  He was so calm and did not seem frail or fragile at all.  He handled the stitches like a champ.  Next I took him to a private doctor to try to figure out why he blacked out.  He did an EKG and an endoscopy and was given a ton of pills. The day before he died, we made an appointment to do an echocardiogram the following Wednesday.  

The day he died I went back to work because the doctor said he’d be fine, and he said he felt fine.  I left his pills all neatly packaged with alarms set on his phone for when he needed to take them.  I called him throughout the day to make sure he felt well. 

I called him at 7:00 p.m. to let him know I was doing a manicure so I’d be a little late to go visit him but I wanted to remind him to take his pill. Again, he sounded fine, and said he was fine.

When I got to his home about 20 minutes later he opened the door and said he wasn’t hungry but I insisted he should eat since he was taking so many pills.  He opened his food from lunch and it was still full so I pointed out that he hadn’t eaten and insisted he eat his oats.  I stood there to make sure.  About four spoonfuls in, the bowl just fell from his hands and he fell backwards on the bed with his eyes open and making a weird snoring sound.  It sounded familiar, like the sound my little sister had made 25 years earlier, except his arms did not twist, his eyes just went empty, even though they were wide open.  I shouted for his neighbor and friend who came running over quickly along with one of my dad’s other friends. 

They tried CPR until the ambulance came but I kind of knew he wouldn’t make it.  The life had already gone from his eyes and he was not responding to me no matter how much I begged him to stay with me. I’ll never forget how empty his eyes went when his bowl of oats fell out of his hands; my dad literally waited for me and I’m so happy that he did.  He didn’t die alone and I got to see him and know he didn’t suffer.  When the paramedics said there was nothing more they could do for him I just hugged him and kissed his face over and over and told him how much I loved him. He never closed his eyes until someone did it for him.  

Losing my dad has felt the hardest.  Maybe because I knew him the longest. Or maybe because now I’m the only one left of our immediate family of five. My dad and I shared a bond that needs its own essay but suffice it to say, my heart is shattered. 

For each of these four losses, a piece of my heart was lost, yet they still complete me and my heart is full with all the memories and love I will always hold for them.

How do I even begin to describe this legend we bid farewell to today?

Words will fall short.  I won’t say half of the things I want to say.  I won’t remember some things that I should have said.  So consider today’s tribute just a chapter and know that there will be more to come in the days and months and even years ahead as we remember and miss him.

Edward Richard Gabourel was born on March 21st 1938 in Belize City to Nora Louise Graham and George Eden Gabourel but his father figure was his stepfather Maximiliano Pahnki whom he lovingly referred to as Daddy Max.    The way he tells it, his pram was prettier than him in those early days.  But we all know that was a lie…I mean did u see those eyes? And that smile?

Edward better known as Dido, grew up in Belize City and spent a lot of time with his grandmother.  He’d always share stories with us about how he’d been a mischievous boy who found ways to outsmart or outwit his grandmother and of how much she spoiled him and spared him from beatings from his mother.  He described his mother as  a strict no nonsense woman who had no qualms about beating him even as a grown man when he fell out of line in his marriage to his beloved Josephine.  Dido and Josephine shared four children:  Sonia, Luis, Nora and Helen. 

In his later years, Dido also acquired the nickname Mi Digo.  He was affectionately known by both.  As for me, I called him Dad or Daddy Boy.  He and my mother Oneida, also shared two other children, Edward and Geraldine who are both now deceased.

At 87 years old our Dad seems to have lived quite a few lifetimes.  He has done it all from logging, to running a Gas Station, to being a bar owner, a mechanic and then lastly a full time retiree just living the life. He had tons of stories to share from all these eras in his life. He also seemed to have quite a way with the ladies seeing that he fathered 21 children all together.

The things that stood out about our dad’s big big personality were his sense of humor, his generosity, his loving and kind heart, his loyalty to friendships, and just his passion for life.  It seems that our dad was well loved by so many people from every era of his long life. We continue to hear stories about how many people he helped to get an education; or how many young men were mentored by him and looked up to him as a father figure. 

Our dad also seemed to never be out of friends.  He had so very many friends.  And even when the  older ones passed away, he kept making more.  As a retired man, dad’s house was always some sort of central hub for hanging out. They socialized, had drinks, played dominoes and joked around with each other.  His life was definitely not short on laughter.  And boy did he make others laugh.  Everyone I have ever introduced our dad to are drawn to his personality.  He was charismatic and funny and kind.  Children loved him.  Even people who don’t know our dad personally but got to learn about him from our social media pages have expressed how much they just loved his vibe and felt like they knew him.  He was always ready for an adventure, a drink and good photo.  He loved dancing, and singing, and playing the guitar and piano and just having a good time with family and friends.  He could quickly become the life of any party.

Despite all the hardships our dad had to endure in his life – from financial downfall to losing children, he never lost that sparkle in his eye and that warmth in his smile.  That’s definitely something to be admired.  To have your heart remain happy and good despite setbacks and heartbreak isn’t as easy as he probably made it look.  We never saw our dad give up, we never heard him complain. He just kept living life no matter what hand he was dealt. 

Our dad remained a pillar of strength in our family even as he aged. It almost made us believe that he was immortal.  At 87 years old, with his memory still sharp, he still lived alone, cooked his own meals (stew beans and soup were his two specialties), did his own laundry, and even still had the strength to chop his own yard with his weedeater  “weh his daughter in law Eileen send he fa states”.  We are absolutely devastated by losing him, but we are also comforted knowing that my dad LIVED his life.  He didn’t always make the best choices but he always did what he wanted to do without worrying what others thought.

Lessons I learned from the Old Dido?  Live life, unapologetically…live it like the Frank Sinatra song “My Way”. We only get one life to live.  Don’t hold grudges, they make you bitter….I’ve seen my dad fall out with friends but then they forgave and forgot and became better friends.  Don’t dwell on the past, it can’t be changed…instead keep keeping on with persistence.  Don’t lose your smile or the twinkle in your eye…There are still plenty of things  to be grateful for.  LAUGH, even at the expense of your friends…so make sure your friends share your sense of humor. And most importantly, say yes to the adventures, take pictures, make memories…when they are all we have left to hold on to…they will bring comfort, and smiles, and tears of happiness too. 

My sister Nora would like me to share that our Dad was her hero and her mentor.  He was a strict but very loving father.  As a kid he would tow her around while doing his mechanic work or playing in his band. She got her singing and musical talents from him. 

My sister Helen wants me to share that one of the things she will miss the most is being 48 and still being greeted “Babyyyy” when she would call him.  And then of course hearing me complain “how da big haas wa be your baby? I’m your baby!”  She will also miss telling him “peepee and go da u bed Dido” and then hearing him giggle as if it was his first time hearing it even though she would religiously end every call with that line.

Dido was predeceased by his siblings Roy and Eva Wade; his first wife Josephine Ramclam and his second wife Oneida August.  He was also predeceased by children Geraldine, Edward, Luis, and Yolanda.

He is survived by his children but especially: Nora, Helen, Eva, Sonia, Rene, Eldon, Kisha, Joel, Edward, Joshua and Pari. 

He is also survived by his beloved host of nieces and nephews but especially: Sandra, Teresita, Ruby, Carlos, Eustace, Luther, Dwayne, Salome, Jermaine and Monique. 

He is also survived by his friends.  Oh his friends.  I would like to thank all my father’s friends: for keeping him laughing, for spending so much time with him that he never had to be or feel alone for too long, for getting him into mischief, for “letting him win” at dominoes, for having his back when I was the alcohol police, for being patient with him when he was mean or stubborn, for the long bench-long distance conversations…I’m sure all that kept him here longer. Thank you.

My Acatenango Experience

A few months ago, my friend Denis invited me to join in on a trip he was planning for his little sister Kayleigh’s birthday…hiking Volcano Acatenango in Guatemala.  Of course I said yes!

We had enough time to save up for the trip and all the logistics would be taken care of by Jireh Travel.  

I had no idea what to expect on the hike but I was told it would be cold.  I had not been in my best physical shape, weighing more than I ever have.  However, I was determined to do it.  Denis and I exercised after work by walking laps at the Victor Galvez Stadium and then we did a couple months of three to four days a week workout with Marilee Kayaba.  I did not lose a pound…but I’m sure it helped my endurance.  I wanted to quit drinking and eat healthier but alcohol and food are my weaknesses and I wasn’t very committed to those aspirations in the end. 

Before we knew it, the date of our trip was finally here! What was supposed to be a group of eleven or twelve ended up being only a group of eight: Denis, Kayleigh, Viandra, Celine, Nadime, Carrie, Mrs. Nora and myself.  

We carpooled to the border, exchanged currency and made our way to the Flores Airport via a little minivan that we had privately chartered. Our flight arrived safely and smoothly and our van was waiting to take us directly to Panajachel which would be our home for two nights. This was a recommended stop to get us acclimatised for our hike in Acatenango. 

We stayed at Perla Maya Hotel.  The rooms were very basic but they had a magnificent rooftop view which we all loved. It was also a close walk to restaurants and little shops.  We did not get there on the first day until late afternoon so after checking into our hotel we freshened up and went out for a walk to see the lakefront of Atitlan.  Some of us tried roasted corn on the cob from a street side vendor.  We took pictures and explored a little before we chose a restaurant for dinner which ended up being a poor choice because the food was less than spectacular and my carpaccio de lomito smelled like butt according to Celine! 

On our second day, we ventured by boat to neighbouring San Jose and Santa Catalina.  We were very entertained by sightseeing and visiting a women’s textile cooperative, a chocolate-making shop, a honey-producing shop, a coffee-producing shop and a small art gallery featuring local artists.  We had lunch and beers and we visited El Mirador in San Jose for a really superb view!  It was a little hike up some steep stairs to get there but it was worth every step.  After all we did in San Jose we did not have much time to visit Santa Catalina but we managed to have a quick stop at a local gift shop there whose owners allowed us to dress up in traditional clothing and take photos in them.  By then it was also raining and poor Kayleigh was battling the flu so we decided to call it an evening.  Back at Panajachel we showered and went further into town for dinner, travelling by tuk-tuks.  This was fun, all huddled up together in those tiny three-wheeled vehicles listening to Dr. Dre no less!

Dinner was much better at Circus Bar and we went to bed excited for our next stop in Antigua the following day.  

On day three of our trip we had an early breakfast at Te Quiero Tea House and I had the first cup of good coffee in three days. Right after we headed out to Antigua.  Upon our arrival at Hotel Casa De Las Fuentes, we discovered that we couldn’t check in early so we left our luggage at reception and headed out to have a very delectable lunch at Restaurante Frida’s before going on an ATV tour up to Hobbitenango. 

This was a fun experience although it got a bit scary for me several times driving the ATV up and down those winding hills with Nadime in tow. It was a bit daunting knowing you’re driving an ATV but have to worry about your life as well as that of your passenger.  

Hobbitenango was cold and wet but we had a good time nonetheless.  We took pictures on the iconic hand but the highlight was the exhilarating tree swing on the “largest tree swing in Central America”, as advertised by their website.  We also had hot chocolates and cappuccinos in one of the little bars on site.  

Day four came way too quickly and it was time for our hike.  We were warned it would be freezing in temperature so we packed warm clothes.

Our day started off with coffee and croissants at Starbucks before we walked over to the meeting point for our tour company to pick us up.  By 7:30 we were on our way and it was about an hour drive from Antigua to the town of Acatenango. When we got there, we met our guides Henry and Willie and we had the chance to rent backpacks, walking sticks, hiking pants, headlamps and raincoats.  We set off on our hike to Acatenango by 9:15 a.m.  

There was no easing into it, it started off uphill right away.  The weather was forecasted to be cold and maybe even wet.  The first part of the hike through farmland went by without much difficulty but it was tough due to the cold and the elevation.  There was a cafe along the way about fifteen or twenty minutes into the hike and we had a quick cappuccino.  The sequence of events thereafter is kind of a blur.  It was a really tough hike…cold and wet from the clouds’ dew, and sometimes hard to breathe normally due to the elevation (over thirteen thousand feet).  There were times I had to stop every hundred steps because my heart was racing too fast and I needed to do breathing exercises.  It really felt like the longest hike I’ve ever been on LOL.  I forgot at what point along the way there was a stop and someone was up there selling beer! Denis and I had one and it was so delicious.  At our lunch stop where we sat and ate our packed lunch there were more beers on sale so Nadime, Celine, Denis and I each got on that we planned on drinking in our cabin later that night.  

About six hours and several “bathroom” breaks later, we were finally at the base camp.  It was foggy and visibility was not the best due to the clouds or maybe it was fog.  It was absolutely freezing too!  We were shown our “Cabins” which ended up being some very tiny triangular shaped structures in which three of us were able to fit. Celine, Nadime and I shared cabins, while Denis, Kayleigh and Viandra roomed together. The cabins offered absolutely no warmth with cold air coming in through the poorly sealed walls and door.  We were each provided with sleeping bags. And there was an extra one that we decided we would use as a shared blanket.  

All I can remember was how freezing it was…I put on three pairs of leggings plus a fourth I borrowed from Celine. I had on two long sleeved blouses as well as my jacket, gloves, beanie,three pairs of socks and a neck gaiter…and I was still trembling!  There was no way I wanted to go outside to eat or even pee!  Nadime came up with the brilliant idea to pee in plastic cups, then throw it out the door – and that is exactly what we did!  Denis came over with some pain meds and imodium which we took in the hopes it would prevent us from having to use the “bathroom” in the morning. 

After all six of us huddled in our cabin to have dinner of stir fried beef with white rice which the guides graciously delivered to our cabin, we were ready to get some sleep by 7:30 p.m.  

We heard loud noises which sounded like thunder, and we were told it was the adjacent Fuego Volcano erupting…however visibility was poor and we were not able to see it.  The guide promised to come wake us up to see it if the weather improved.  

Nadime, Celine and I huddled close together to try to keep warm but it felt like the longest night ever.  We managed to get some sleep, but it was very restless to say the least. 

We had set an alarm for 3:45 to be able to set off at 4:00 a.m. to hike one hour to the top of Acatenango.  Our camp was set up at the base of it. When the alarm woke us up, we put on our hiking pants and packed our bags with water and snacks. It was still freezing. I wished I had packed a thick sweater. I also discovered that the imodium did not help at all, I desperately needed to relieve my bowels but it was so dark to see that I decided I would wait.  I was feeling really anxious, like I didn’t know if I would be able to hike to the peak of the volcano…it was cold, dark and windy and I really needed to use the “bathroom”.  Plus the guide told us that we might not get to see anything due to the weather. From the peak of Acatenango we should have been able to see the sunrise as well as eruptions from the Fuego Volcano.  I started the hike and immediately it was uphill and I was sinking and falling all over myself in the volcanic sand.  My panic escalated.  I asked if the entire hour would be like this…the guide said yes.  Like godsend, Denis announced that he would be staying with Kayleigh because she was feeling nauseous.  I told the guide that I would stay too.  It was a mixture of relief and disappointment.  Relief that I had company to stay back but disappointment because I would not summit Acatenango and maybe I could have done it, but having company just made it easier to stay.

Not long after the hikers left, we heard a loud “thunder” and we saw Fuego erupt in beautiful lava! I did not have my phone handy but it was a beautiful sight! Realizing the fog had cleared and we would be privy to more shows, we decided to sit out and watch, this time with phones in hand.  We were patient (the eruptions happened about twenty minutes apart and some bigger than others) and got to see some nice eruptions from Fuego.  This made me feel better about staying because it was unknown whether the other hikers would be able to see them from the summit, but we were definitely seeing it here! To celebrate, Denis and I popped our beers at 6:00 a.m….hey, no judging! LOL

As soon as daylight came, I quickly dug a hole and did my business then buried it.  This made me feel a whole lot better too. 

About two or so hours after they left, the guides and rest of the crew were back.  They were not able to see anything from the cold, windy, foggy summit but they did manage to get some nice views along the way.  I lived vicariously through them recounting their experience of the summit and wondered if I would have made it had I tried…maybe I’ll go back when the weather is not so cold…maybe.

We had coffee, oatmeal and pancakes for breakfast then we took photos with Fuego Volcano in the background since the weather had cleared up enough for us to do this. We were blessed…apparently the two groups who had gone before us were not able to see anything!

We geared up for our hike back and it was uneventful and very easy compared to the trip up. There are no major injuries to report except for sore legs, bruised toes, and a slight knee discomfort at the end.  We made it down in record timing of three hours.  Maybe the thought of a nice, warm, long shower and clean clothes propelled us forward.  We were so relieved to have made it.  I joked with Kayleigh that she must wish she could have returned this birthday gift, but I was secretly so proud of her for accomplishing her first big hike! This was definitely baptism by fire into the world of extreme hiking…and she did great!

As tired as we were back in Antigua, we managed to go out for lunch then returned to the hotel for a siesta, then went back out for dinner and a couple hours at a club.  In the morning, we made one last stop at Starbucks before it was time to head back home. What a wonderful week it was!  Thank you Denis for spearheading this wonderful adventure.

Edward Luis Francis Gabourel, better known as Luis, was born on February 28^th 1966 in Belize City to Edward Richard Gabourel and Josephine Gabourel.  He was the firstborn of their three children together. 

I think Luis lived several different lifetimes in the 57 years he was here with us. As I listened to everyone’s stories while preparing his eulogy I honestly didn’t know how to put it together.  There are so many stories to share. But with all the stories some common things always emerged.  He was always fun-loving, sweet, kind, giving, funny and mischievous. 

One of our dad’s favorite memories of him is one from when he was three years old.  They had just moved to San Ignacio from Belize City so he had never seen a cow before in his little life….as they passed some cows while driving one day, Luis exclaimed “Wow! Look at all those Kitty Cats!”

Luis grew up close to our sister Nora because they were only two years apart in age.  They both grew up with several of our cousins around the same age and there are a lot of wild childhood and teenage stories from that bunch.  Childhood Luis is described as someone very gullible who could easily be tricked or who needed little convincing to take the rap for some mischief they had committed.  Nora recalled a memory where they had gotten a pair of swimming fins from a family member in the United States.  They didn’t know what it was but she had convinced Luis that it was a pair of wings and that it would make him fly.  Luis loved that idea and he even tried to fly from the second story of their house.  They probably both got a beating for that stunt.

As a child and teenager, my dad, siblings and cousins recalled, Luis did what he wanted without much thought of the consequences.  They say nothing bothered him and he always had solutions. My dad said our grandmother would send Luis and our cousin Luther to the shop to buy bun and they would sometimes eat it before they even got home.   Luis and Luther would steal our grandmother’s Yardley powder, roll it and smoke it like cigarettes.  My sister says he skipped graduation from primary school because he didn’t want to wear the shoes he had.  One of my cousins told a wild story of how he and another cousin wanted to get in to Rose Garden but they couldn’t get in because of their age so they got in their car and drove through the gate at full speed then came to a halt and yelled “Immigration!” Boy did that crowd scatter! 

Luis started dating his childhood friend Jean when he was 17 years old.  They eventually migrated to the US in 1984 and had two children together, Johanna and Eddie.  Jean shared that he held several jobs in their time together.  He was a great mechanic but he also had a supervisor job at a resort in Lake Bluff, and he did construction and remodeling at some point too.  Although they did not stay together, Luis loved Jean and his children fiercely…he always bragged about them.  He never met his seven granddaughters and one grandson because he came back to Belize before they were born but he had photos of them and always spoke about hoping to meet them.  And even though he and Jean have been apart for all these years, I found a photo of her in his bag of belongings, which means she was very special to him.  They have known each other since pre-school.

Jean recalled that years 1990 and 1991 was a terrible time for Luis.  In 1990 he was involved in a major traffic accident in Mexico in which he almost lost his life, and 1991 was the year his mom died. 

Before moving back to Belize, Luis also lived in LA.  There he and his partner Annette had a son Donovan, who is here today and his Belize family is meeting for the first time. 

Some of my favorite memories of Luis were from when I was in primary school around the age of probably seven or eight years old.  He would let me and our little sister Geraldine put clips in his hair.  We thought he was the coolest big brother.  I think he lived with us for a while.  And although he wasn’t my mom’s son, she loved him dearly too.  I remember one time she was cooking fish and she made a whole baked fish just for Luis because she knew he had a monster appetite.  Luis didn’t plan on sharing his fish with anyone so before he ate it, I remember him spitting all over it.  I was young so maybe he only pretended to but ….Yes, he was outrageous!

I remember too that Luis was the absolute best big brother to our brother Edward.  He was always patient with him, and loved spending time with him. My brother loved him so much that even when Luis moved away to the states he never stopped asking about him.  

After Luis’ lifetime in the States, he moved back to Belize permanently around 2008 where he started off doing mechanic work along with our brother Rene and then with our Uncle Joe. He also worked at a resort in Hopkins and did other small jobs.  During his last few troubled years he battled a lot of personal demons and he lived a life we did not understand.  But we supported him the best we could, in any way we could.  He had his problems but still he remained a kind, funny, loving son, brother, cousin and friend.  He didn’t have the finances to be generous, yet somehow he still was.  When he stayed with family he repaid our hospitality by cleaning and cooking…we all have stories about how Luis could clean a house as if he was in the Hotel Industry or something. He also knew his way around a kitchen.  Our cousin Sandra recalled that being around Luis never made you sad.  He always had stories to tell or he was always being a good host.  Just last month while he was staying at my dad, she visited and he was treating her and her friend like royalty. He waited on them bringing them drinks and treating them to our father’s food.  This brought back a memory of how generous Luis was even when he had nothing.  One Christmas, a neighbor brought tamales for our dad.  Luis didn’t know who had brought the tamales but he saw an opportunity to be neighborly so unbeknownst to my father, he took tamales to the neighbor and said here my dad sent you these…to which she responded “why are you giving me back my tamales?”

Over the last few days we have heard similar stories of how kind and friendly our brother was and it warms our hearts.  Even though he had very little in these last few years, somehow he still managed to touch people’s hearts with his kindness and personality. 

Our sister Helen was unable be here with us today but she sent a letter for our brother which she wanted me to share and it goes like this:

To Luis, “The Prince”, this is my goodbye to you…

My brother, you had your share of sadness, however there are none of us without faults.  You are and will forever be my big brother.  You were until the end of your time sweet at heart and soul.  You loved BIG and you felt that love back whether it was given back to you or not.  You accepted me for the person I am, without judgment even though I passed a lot of that out to you.  You were the great love of our mother’s life.  Nora and I were also lucky to feel that love, mommy made sure we all knew this.  For whatever reason, maybe because mommy and daddy tried for years to have a child, I like to believe, that when they saw you for the first time your happy loving light took hold.

Lu you were born into the Gabourel, Ramclam, Graham and Wade family, filled with love just waiting for you.

My prayer is that you are now up there with mommy and that Gran di mek u clean up them “Charlie Price” you and Luther drop rocks pan!

My big brother, my friend, I will love you forever. 

Although we say our physical goodbyes today, Luis will always be remembered and missed by his family and friends.

Luis is predeceased by his mother Josephine, and our siblings Geraldine and Edward. He is survived by our father, Dido and a host of siblings and cousins who are like siblings, his children, his grandchildren, aunts, uncles, other relatives and plenty of friends.

Farewell dear brother. 

Submitted, February 28, 2017, by:
Josephine Neal  ♦  Elena Hutchinson  ♦  Leila Leslie  ♦  Melanie Escalante

Eva Gabourel

There are numerous reasons that we nominate Eva Gabourel for this year’s U. S. Embassy Belmopan Woman of the Year Award. Truth be told, our admiration for her and her work extends to many years simply because she consistently proves to have compassion, an excellent work ethic, humility and has a positive impact on people. Her life’s mission is to inspire, uplift and support people and we will tell you how she does this in some of the areas that your Award system lists as criteria for nomination:

Women’s Advancement

In the last year Eva initiated and spearheaded various activities to inspire, encourage and promote women within our company, Belize Natural Energy Limited.

One initiative was polling the women of the company to share stories on the company intranet about other women who have positively impacted their lives and how they themselves aim to positively impact others.

On another occasion she interviewed multiple women and wrote an article “BNE, Women Empowerment through Education” where BNE women shared the sacrifices, challenges, successes and rewards in pursuing formal education while in full time employment, and in some cases, while raising a family. This article was shared on the company intranet inspiring others to acknowledge and recognize their peers and to take the leap to advance their own education and inspiring BNE men to support their wives/partners in similar pursuits.

In May 2016 Eva also took it upon herself to engage BNE men in a video celebrating women; both at home and in the workplace, this provided a new dimension of understanding and appreciation between the men and the women of the company.

Eva uses social media platforms to inspire and encourage women daily, posting motivational messages and personal insights as well as speaking to matters of the heart. Numerous women are drawn to her posts and are grateful for them.

On a separate note when each employee at BNE, both men and women alike, celebrates a birthday Eva personally visits that person, offers good wishes, a hug and shares a small gift and a personal message of encouragement (annually) nobody is missed out!

environmental preservation, advocacy & promoting human rights

As a Director of Challenge Gobie, for over 7 years Eva has: (i) fundraised and provided financial support to families of children with cancer and diabetes, (ii) supported a team of young men participating in the Ruta Maya and is doing so in 2017, and (iii) in 2016 successfully fundraised for the construction of a new kitchen for the Octavia Waight Center (residential home for the elderly in San Ignacio) while securing donations of ancillary equipment.

At BNE Eva volunteers as secretary of the Environment, Health and Safety Committee where her work and dedication serves as a magnetic force in bringing people together to promote and implement multiple environmental awareness, health and wellness, and general safety awareness activities, it seems people are attracted to her example of “servant leadership”. Over the past year Eva has also motivated others through her own example of participation in the company’s wellness program, but more than that she has been an excellent advocate for the program encouraging others to participate and mentoring some.

In May last year Eva was invited to organize a group from BNE to participate in the Annual Youth for World Peace Run for Diabetes. Earlier in the year she had participated in a run to raise funds for Special Olympics in Belize. Through these initiatives Eva exemplifies the qualities it takes to lead when needed, then take direction and serve as a member of a team that advocates for those are unable to advocate for themselves, she is extremely comfortable and effective as a leader or a team player!

For the past 2 years Eva has participated in a Local Santa initiative providing gifts to underprivileged children in Cayo (Trapiche and Hillview Area as well as some streets in Santa Elena Town). Additionally Eva is an active member of the Cayo branch of the Belize Cancer Society and had contributed to effective fundraising campaigns and supporting the organization’s activities overall.

encouraging youth development

Eva is actively engaged as a member of the Sacred Heart College Board

In all we are sure you will agree with us that Eva is one of a kind! She has made and continues to make all of these contributions to community and more in other areas that the Woman of the Year Award criteria does not even touch, all while pursuing her own personal and professional development studying for a Bachelor’s Degree at Galen University. We welcome you to celebrate Eva with us.

Love people as they are, not as you are.

Don’t expect people to be just like you.  While we can have plenty in common, we are also different in many ways. 

We need to learn how to love people for the things we connect with in them, but not sweat the stuff that do not align with our way of thinking or being. 

The human mind is composed of infinite thought and each person holds their own thoughts in highest regard…whether they are right or wrong is irrelevant, respect that.

It’s human nature to take things personally, but to be at peace with ourselves and others, we need to consciously remember that we have a capacity to let things go… Especially little things which hold no significance really in the grander scheme of our own lives.   When you find little things about someone bothering you, take a pause and remember that everything is not about you and how you view the world…don’t let someone else’s personality and quirks spoil your day, acknowledge it if you must and move on.  

Let people be who they are, and do not judge.  Take what you can, in the doses that you can.  But be a good friend:  love them, support them, defend them, be loyal to them and pray for them.  To have a friend, you must be a friend.

~Eva G.

I can remember going down to the river by the Wooden Bridge or the Hawkesworth Bridge in my younger years to watch the start of the Ruta Maya Canoe Race.  Sometimes we watched it from our back yard by the “benk side” (beside the riverbank) when we lived on George Price Avenue.

It was always exciting to watch the canoes race by and all the people paddling as fast as they could. I can’t remember quite when it hit me that I would like to participate in this race but it had to be well in my 20’s because I was not much into sports or physical activity in my teenage years.  

In 2015 I bought a canoe because I got a good deal on a hardly used one.  At the time, my friend Miguel was paddling to promote one of the charities I worked with so I had him use the canoe since I hadn’t set a time yet to go myself… I just knew that I eventually would. 

In 2016, at work, I worked on a project to commemorate Women’s Day and I asked my female coworkers to share some items on their Bucket List.  I of course had to think of mine and one of the things on my list was “to do the Ruta Maya”. 

My goal was to do it in 2017 and I even went one time to the river with my friend Miguel, who was showing me how to hold the paddle and how to stroke the water just right.  We agreed to practice more and I was excited about the plan to paddle in the 2017 La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge.  Then I injured my wrist playing football at work.  It was fractured in two places and ruined all my plans.  I set my mind up to do it in 2018 instead.  This time, Miguel no longer had my canoe and he already had his team for the next challenge so I knew I had to find my own team.  

The rest pretty much kind of worked itself out…I guess Gobie mentioned to someone at Shell Service Station that I was interested in doing the La Ruta Maya and that I would be putting a team together because one of the attendants, Ostin, approached me about it one day.  He said he heard I was planning to do the race and asked if I already had a team because he and his brother “Mataran”, who had both done it before, would be interested. I told him “ok sure!” We said we’d talk about it some more during the year.

The name for my canoe was chosen from about October 2017…I just knew that I wanted to call it Bucket List and so I designed my logo in October 2017.

Late 2017, we made plans to start practicing in December but with Christmas and holiday plans it didn’t work out so we said we’d leave it for the new year.  Because of mine and Ostin’s schedule we agreed that we would practice on Friday mornings at 5:30 a.m. and I’d go in late to work, and then on Sundays at any time as we all had the day off. We practiced in January once to the Ferry and several times to the Iguana Creek Bridge.

In February it rained a lot and the river was extremely flooded so we missed a lot of practice but we did go to Chaa Creek once (upstream) and made it to Banana Bank three times before the Big Race.  Each practice, our time improved which was a positive sign that we were doing good. 

My workout for the race included my daily half hour at the gym at work (weight training), lunchtime football, and paddling. I went running with Ostin once and I did some stationery bike, elliptical and skipping at home occasionally.  I didn’t do any particular diets but I tried to eat more fruits and vegetables in the month leading up to the race. I also took B-Complex, and a multivitamin supplement. The week before the race I consumed more carbs and fiber and I mostly avoided alcohol.

The week of the race, I was very nervous and I didn’t sleep too well for a couple of nights.  I didn’t take any time off work and I kept my gym and football routines. I wanted to be as fit as I could be for the big race!

Finally, March 9th arrived.  I got dressed in my leggings and my customized “Bucket List” compression shirt…long sleeved because I absolutely hate sun burns, and a cap to protect my face.  I had my nails done earlier that week and I wore my Hello Kitty earrings for the race. I’m a mixture of tomboyish and girly for sure. 

The guys and I went down to the Hawkesworth Bridge at about 6:15 a.m. so that we could warm up before the race started.  I was fearful about the start for two things.  One, it always took me a while to warm up during practice; and two,I had not practiced with many other canoes in the water beside us so I was afraid of flipping right at the start.  

Thankfully, the guys decided we would handle the start smartly, so we managed to have a slow but steady start without flipping over.  Since I had practiced the first leg of the race several times, I was sure we would be able to finish but I was so afraid of flipping, especially in front of my coworkers who would be watching at the Iguana Creek Bridge.  

When we finally made it to the Iguana Creek Bridge, with no incidents, I was feeling strong and motivated. I didn’t look to see who were there cheering me on at the bridge but I heard several voices, shouting my name and it motivated me even more to paddle harder.  But of course I got distracted and Anthony had to remind me to “rhythm up”. 

Probably about a half hour after the bridge, our good luck gave out and we turned over.  We were tailing team Horsing Around (David, Alex and Ken Smith) and I watched them navigate around a big rapid around a curve (by the Z-Curve) and instead of following them, our canoe went right into the rapid current.  We took on a lot of water and I of course panicked.  I kept trying to paddle but I could feel us sinking and Anthony was yelling at me to steady the boat and I remember asking “what do I do?”, but it was too late and we flipped. The water was very deep and fast moving and we lost our water and gatorade and snacks.  We tried to get back in the boat but it was too deep so we had to paddle ahead to a big log in the river.  We again tried to get into the canoe and overturned.  Finally the Coast Guard boat came to help us get back into our canoe. In the mayhem we lost one of our new paddles.  Thankfully we had the foresight to take a spare one which luckily was still tied to the canoe.  I ended up using it and it was longer than what I was used to so it was another challenge but I adjusted.  We lost about 25 minutes in time but we still finished the day in good time at Banana Bank. 

I was tired, but since it was the leg we had practiced several times before, it felt familiar and I had a lot of energy left.  I was anxious and nervous about day two which they said was the longest day of the race.

I went home to spend the night and met the guys at Banana Bank early the next morning.  It was hard to eat food so early in the morning but I forced myself to eat a bowl of oats and a banana.  I also drank a lot of water before the race and I took B-Complex, Potassium and Doceplex.   

The second day was indeed the longest and we had a slow start but we did not flip and that was the most important thing to me.  I kept asking God to help us stay afloat because I really wanted us to make up some time on the second day.  We managed to pass several canoes and there was this one boat that kept riding our wave and would not let up. It was annoying. It was frustrating. I don’t think we ever stopped paddling that day except for a few minutes when we individually took breaks to have a power bar or some fruit. 

If you are wondering why I haven’t mentioned anything about bathroom breaks its because we didn’t have any…you had to pee yourself as gross as that sounds.  Anthony kept scolding Ostin and me when we were not paddling right, but his brother took the brunt of his scolding.  My arms were hurting but my back was fine and so was my willpower.  Ostin kept having cramps in his back and he was doing something to relieve himself which felt like he was applying brakes to the canoe but he did not give up and we again made it in good time to Double Head Cabbage. It felt like forever but we made it.  I heard a lot of people calling my name along the riverbank but I was not able to make out faces as I had to maintain my focus on paddling.  I could also hear people cheering for our pink canoe and telling us to “keep it up ladies”.  It could be because we were all wearing pink or red jerseys with Hello Kitty on them, ha ha!

This time, I spent the night in Bermudian Landing at The Nature Resort.  The cabaña was clean and cozy and all I did was shower, had a packet of re-hydration salt, drink lots of water, had some food, rub my sore muscles and slept until it was time for a massage at about 7 p.m. After the massage, I went back to sleep and woke up early to have some oatmeal, nuts, and coffee before starting on the third leg of the race.  Ostin and Anthony camped out, while I enjoyed the luxury of a bed, but that was their choice as they had declined our offer of a room. 

Surprisingly, I woke up with plenty of energy and no sign of sore muscles.  Gobie picked me up and brought ShaSha and Yobani for some moral support.  We met the guys at the starting point of the race and as all the paddlers do, we got into our canoe to start warming up.  We had a really good start and we were in the leading pack for a while until the top teams eventually left us in the proverbial dust.  However, we managed to make really good timing despite Ostin’s cramps and my lack of experience.  Anthony was always in our ears, telling us to keep paddling and to go faster.  This was the toughest day for me and I thought we would never reach the finish line.  There were a lot of curves and black water and I thought for sure the guys were mistaken and surely this was the longest day.  I heard myself complaining a lot but I never stopped paddling and thankfully we managed to stay afloat the whole time.  I got some good encouragement from other experienced paddlers including Mr. Guydis who said he hoped I would decide to paddle again next year because apparently I had a lot of potential.  The highlight of this day for me was being able to pass a group of young boys from Scotiabank even though they had a little help from the Coast Guards who allowed them to ride the wave of their motorboat.  

When we finally made it to the finish line, nobody was happier or more tired than me.  I greeted my friends who were there to see me at the finish line and immediately headed over to my room for my routine of re-hydrating, showering, massaging and sleeping. Having been able to finish the third day made me know that I would be able to complete the race and I was excited for the final leg.  

I promised myself to push myself on the last day so that we could improve our timing.  The important thing was to finish the race and scratch it off my bucket list but it would be great to place at least 3rd in the category.  I was hoping for the same good start as we had the day before but it was not to be. However, we did not turn over and that was good enough for us.  The fourth day was the fastest in terms of pace and because we wanted to place well we all pushed ourselves, but so did everyone else.  Somewhere along the route, we hit a tree truck hard with our canoe and I was so worried that the canoe would break and end my dream of finishing the race.  Thankfully, it was okay.  We were taking a lot of water in the canoe because of some damage on the front, despite the fact that the guys had put some tape on it before the race.  Navigating along the canal was the longest and hardest part because there were no waves to help, it was just us and our paddles.  

Finally we were able to see the finish line and I felt like I was paddling with my whole life when Anthony told me to paddle harder ha ha! I told him it was all I had and we made it to the sound of loud cheers from our supporters.  It was a wonderful, amazing feeling to reach the finish line without falling over but more importantly to accomplish my goal.  I was grateful to the guys for paddling with me.  We were interviewed as we got out of the water and we took lots of photos.  Surprisingly, I was not tired at all and I felt like I could go another day.  Adrenaline does that for you I guess.  That or maybe my muscles were already conditioned after 4 days of paddling. Again, friends and family were there to greet me at the finish line and I’m ever so grateful for their support.  I got my participation medal and that was my cue to head home for a nice long shower and a hot date with my bed.  Would I do it again? Out loud, I say No, but inside I think, maybe 😉

Overall, it was a great experience. I’m beyond grateful that Anthony and Ostin took the time to teach me to paddle and to agree do the race with an inexperienced girl even if it meant I would slow them down immensely.  This experience taught me the important of team work and about appreciating everyone’s role on the team.  It taught me the importance of practice and discipline.  It taught me to push myself beyond my limits both physically and mentally.  It taught me to appreciate the sport even more and to have mad respect for anyone who decides to paddle, and even more so for those who do it year after year.  Just watching the paddlers fleetingly from the river banks, tells nothing of how physically taxing paddling is.  How much heart and soul go into the sport.  I also had no idea how beautiful the view would be along the entire route…the water, the jungle, the wildlife…Belize is a beautiful country and I’m happy I got to experience an aspect I would have probably never gotten a chance to see if it were not for the La Ruta Maya race.  I how I wish I could have take pictures but there was never a chance for that, Anthony would not let me stop paddling!

When the race was over, my friends Mary and Elena also told me that their daughters Nuelle and Syrhia, were so excited to see me paddling and said that they too wanted to paddle when they get older.  That I somehow inspired these little girls might just be the most rewarding thing out of this whole experience…go after all the things you dream of my darlings! You are your only limit…unleash your beast and do all the things you are passionate about without a worry about your age or about being a girl. 

EULOGY

 

Edward Richard Gabourel Jr. was born in the wee hours of the Saturday morning on October 27th 1979 at La Loma Luz Hospital in Santa Elena.  He was the firstborn child between Oneida “Neidy” August and Edward “Dido” Gabourel Sr.  He was pronounced a healthy baby boy at birth but at just one-day old, tragedy struck.  My mom had an old midwife “palagiar” Edward (I hope I said that right)…this was something they did to clean the baby’s throat…and something went terribly wrong and the baby started bleeding from his mouth.  He had to be rushed to Belize City Hospital and received a blood transfusion through his head.

This is the story that resulted in the epileptic Edward we grew to know and love.  I’m told his life expectancy was to his teenage years but he made it to 39.  He definitely lived a full life.

The childhood Edward who everyone remembers is a curious and mischievous little boy who would throw things at people, wet them up with a cupful of water, randomly hit them or in some cases plant a big unexpected kiss on them.  Many people were afraid of him because nobody could predict his mood.  But those who were brave enough to get to know him loved him and loved teasing him because he could take a good teasing IF he was in the mood to.

He was a greedy child with a big appetite.  Whatever we did not eat off our plates, he definitely would.  A couple of his favorite things ever were red Fanta (which he referred to as pretty Fanta), cheese chips, beans and pigtail, tortilla,  bollos (which he called bobos), and the occasional beer.

Those of you who grew up in our neighborhood may remember him getting “lashing” often. He knew the belt, the fan belt, the cable wire and chanklas really well…he got good doses of each IF my dad could catch him. He would literally have my dad doing laps around our house trying to catch him.  But lashing never made him cry.  He cried if you took away the things he loved…which were very simple things.  He collected used straws, bottle covers, and any kind of string.  When he was a young child he used to make “party” as he called it.  This would mean ripping up old cassettes for the “string” and tying a nut and bolt or stone on one end and throwing it on top of a coconut tree, then tying something similar on the opposite end and throwing that on another coconut tree across the yard.  He somehow discovered that the cassette string made a peculiar sound when the breeze was blowing strong.  Nobody taught him this; he discovered it on his own.  If you used my dad’s mechanic services when we were children its very likely one of your vehicle’s nuts and bolts ended up in Edward’s party…sorry about that.  One time, he missed with his throw and a big bolt landed smack in the middle of my forehead, I was so afraid I would have a permanent scar.  Edward also made it a habit in our childhood to wait for kids to come out of school and as they walked by he would stand on our porch and shout “ha” very loudly.  The neighborhood kids grew used to it and if he did not do it some would pass our house shouting it themselves so that he would come outside.

Another thing about Edward was his temper and his affinity for cuss words.  He got mad when he didn’t have his way and his mouth would explode with the infamous F-word.  And if you told him not to curse, he would do it some more.  My mother tried to teach him numbers and the alphabet but that did not last long because after a little while he would tell her to stop making noise or that he was too tired.

Edward has suffered from epilepsy or “fits” his whole life.  He lived on medication his whole life.  Most of the time his pills worked but curiously if the weather would change (from sunny to rainy) he would get seizures.  In his childhood they were very severe and he would often hurt himself or bite his tongue. At the time, this was not something people were used to seeing so those who did see it were afraid of him.  Because of this, we sheltered him a lot and did not take him many places.  The only place he knew was the comfort of our home.  Yet he never complained or asked to go anywhere.  He loved his family and when we lost our mom and little sister, he constantly asked for them. Even after 20 years.  He would ask for “Nayi” (he couldn’t say Neidy” and “Adine” (he couldn’t say Geraldine).  He never called my parents mom and Dad.  It was always “Nayi” and “Dido”. He could say my name and my brother, Luis’s, name perfectly but Helen and Nora were Patty and Jo to him. Sonia was also Jo to him.  How he came up with the names I don’t know…

As Edward became an adult, he was still a child trapped in his man’s body but his temper and mischievous bouts as well as the seizures were way less frequent.  He was comfortable with routines.  When he woke up he asked for his pills and his tea bag. He asked for “dinna” when it was lunchtime and he sat playing with his string or bottle covers or whatever was his latest fancy at the time.  He still did however wet my dad’s friends with water up to his very last days.  Mr. Errol and Mr. Earl were his favorite “victims”.  He also had a great long term memory.  He asked for my parents’ friends that have been dead for many years now.  Especially “Pris” (Mrs. Pris Wiltshire), Spec (Mr. Gerald Bernard) and Acricis (Mr. Norman Simplis).  And he always asked for Mom and Ger and our Aunt Eva and sometimes for “Papa”, our grandfather Virginio August.    He also asked about those alive whom he still remembered fondly from childhood….especially for my Aunt Ruth and my Uncle Russell (who he would only call by his nickname “Dut”) as well as for their children Monique, Jermaine and Salome (the latter which he called Chow Mein and Azome).

When we lost our mother, I was 15 and he was 19 going on 20 and Ger our little sister was 12.  9 months after our mom died, Ger also passed away.  Ever since then, Edward, Dad and I were the only family we had around as everyone lived far away.  In some ways, he became my son, my little boy because I had to really take care of him.  When I moved out of the house to start my own life, my father took full responsibility of taking care of him.  And I know it has not been an easy road for my father.  Edward was basically a difficult child at heart and mind yet hard to handle because he was a big solid man. Yet I never did once hear my dad complain about taking care of him, in fact those two were so close and inseparable despite their constant bickering.  My dad refused to go anywhere if Edward could not go.  Edward was my dad’s sidekick and his life companion for the past 20 years and Dad, you are a giant of a man for the amazing job you did with Edward.  My brother Luis when he came around used to always take good care of him and Edward adored him.  If Luis went away for a long time then came home to visit he would rail up and ask Luis why he went to “States”. When Nora moved in with Dad recently, Edward quickly picked up on her routine and whenever she was not home on time he would question her about where she had been. My sister Helen went to live in the US before my mom died and she only recently came back to visit for the first time in over 15 years.  Yet he still asked about “Patty”.  If I went without visiting the house for a few days my dad says he would ask for me.  As soon as he saw me he would ask me to take him to the river (which is what he called the pool).  I could go on and on…we all have these wonderful memories of him which we cherish now more than ever.

Dad, I know you will miss him more than anyone, I will miss him so much too, we will all miss him…but I hope we can find comfort knowing he is in a good place, finally at peace and reunited with Mommy and Ger.  It goes without saying that he lived a life full of love and he passed away peacefully in his favorite chair on the front porch.  I broke down when I saw him in the casket because he really looked so handsome and so peaceful…there could not have been a better way for him to go or for us to remember him.  I’m grateful to God for blessing us with the perfect son and brother to our family; and our interactions with him over the years have taught us so many valuable lessons that have surely made us better persons.  Edward’s light has touched us in different and in many ways and for that his purpose on this earth was fulfilled ever greatly.  We love you Ed!

 

Thank you.

The thought of losing you

drives me into a frantic panic.

My butterflies go crazy with worry

and my heart beats the saddest tune.

~d.m.~

You swept into my life like an unexpected wave.

Your heart came rushing in over my quiet spirit.

Your sense of humor, your beautiful soul,

Your loving heart, your thoughtful spirit,

consumed me such that it was not a choice

to love you.  You enveloped me in the folds of your

love and when I felt how at home I was in your

presence, there’s nowhere else I could ever belong.

~d.m.~

How can it be that I’ve known you for more than half of my life, yet I’ve never really known you?

How can it be that our souls are so connected and our stories are so similar, yet we never explored the possibility of a relationship before?

I think you’re handsome, you think I’m beautiful, yet we haven’t always felt this way…

Why didn’t our souls collide sooner?

Because that’s what this is, a collision of two souls destined to meet.

~d.m.~

Our love came in a rush.

It started with something in common.

Then we shared our sense of humor and enjoyed each other’s laughter.

Soon feelings of affection morphed into the need to offer her protection.

My confession led to her confession and before we knew it, we had found true love.

She is my life, she gives me life.  Where before I had lost my purpose, with her I discovered possibilities I had never entertained before.

She makes me a better person, someone that I never knew I could be, someone that loves her and that she loves fiercely right back.

~d.m.~

Just the thought of you, or seeing your name in print, or dialing your number and knowing you’ll pick up with a smile in your voice is enough to make me giddy with glee.

I love the way you say my name, I love the way you call me “baby”, I love the way you call me beautiful.

I love that we never tire of hearing from each other and that we never get tired of saying “I love you” and “I miss you”.

Your love makes me feel like a teenager all over again and I realize that I’ve never even had butterflies before until I met you!

~d.m.~

I really believe that your eyes are the windows to your soul

You know what I see when I look in your eyes?

I see a man who loves me and never wants to lose me.

I see a man who adores me and is amazed that I adore him right back.

I see a man who loves my body as equally as he loves my mind.

I see a man with a kind heart and a thoughtful soul who just wants to make me happy.

I see a man who’s decided he wants a future with me and will stop at nothing to make that dream a reality.

I see all the things you say out loud and all the things that you don’t.

~d.m.~