Sol is a friend of mine. She has worked for me since 1997, and during that time we have become friends. Her given name is Soledad, and like her name, she is a bright and shining member of society. Sol's life has not been easy. She was raised on a ranch in Mexico. After her father died, one of her siblings took control of their assets, including the ranch. Sol ended up without her inheritance. She married, and her husband was an alcoholic. After several years, he left her. She lived in Mexico and raised her children by herself. Sol's living situation was not good. Later in life, her mother developed Alzheimer's. Sol took care of her without any help from her siblings. The disease affected her mother so badly that Sol would have to tie her to herself to keep her mother from getting seriously hurt. Sol could not even take a shower without someone watching her mother. Before her own mother's disease progressed, Sol took care of my mother in my home following Mother's stroke. She was always so patient and loving. She called my mother "Grandma," and Mother absolutely loved Sol. I made a vow then to make sure Sol has income as long as I have income. She was such a blessing to our family when we needed one so badly.
When her mother's illness worsened, Sol had to leave us and take care of her in Mexico. Her mother passed away in 2000, the same year my mother passed away. We cried together.
Sol's son was killed this year in a car accident in Arizona. He was her only son, and she was very proud of his accomplishments. He was an entertainer. She was devastated. She brought many photos and newspaper stories surrounding his accident and her loss. I saw a little bit of Sol leave too when he died. Her family told me Sol was having a very hard time accepting the death of her son. Yet, she continued to work because she had grandchildren to feed. Her son in law left her daughter with no income and three kids.
Someone stole all of the contents of Sol's house this year when she was in San Diego taking care of her nephew's mother. We loaded up as much as we could into her car of items from my house that we no longer need.
This week when Sol arrived at work, I knew something was wrong the minute I saw her face. Sol's niece was killed in Tiajuana last weekend. Her niece's baby who was one year old was shot twice in the forehead and once in the back of the head. The father of the baby was injured. The baby was flown to Children's Hospital here in San Diego, and is in critical condition. The family were innocent victims traveling through town in their car when a drug cartel battle broke loose in the city. Just another day for the cartel but tragically, another challenge for Sol, which will impact her life forever. She is questioning why so many losses. Her faith is strong. She says, "My niece is up there with my God," as she points towards the heavens. The baby's dad is in the hospital, and the grandparents are staying by the side of the baby. If the baby lives, it will never walk again. It is blind and deaf. One minute before the gunfire, the baby was a happy, healthy one year old. Sol cries as she talks about the baby's injuries and she tells me we need to be careful and take care with Carson, our little one year old granddaughter. In spite of her loss, she offers love and concern for our little one and our family. I believe her parents must have known when they named her Soledad that she would be bringing sunshine into the lives of others. The bible addresses the blessings in store for the long suffering. Sol is long suffering. God bless her....my friend.
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