At The time of the story my mother was still married to Gilberto. We were invited to a party given by my mother's friend Martha. It was a house party in Queens. We are Colombian so I want to say that 95% of the people there were also Colombian. There's a native dance in Columbia and it wasn't cumbia. It was something else. Kind of like where they jumped on one foot at a time. Gilberto loved to dance. He even danced at my 21st birthday party hip hop music. But at this particular party they were doing an indigenous dance of Columbia and there he was dancing with Martha having the best time. Because this dance involved jumping on one foot at a time. Gilberto's pants kept falling lower and lower on to where they were completely below his backside revealing his butt cheeks. Me and my mother were sitting in front of him while he was dancing and we just couldn't stop laughing. And he didn't care. He was having such a good time and it brings me so much joy to remember him having fun. I miss him so much.

Gilberto has much love for his step-daughter - my mother - Yvette Mancipe. It is a blessing that they were able to reconnect and share thier mutual love in his final hours. I may not have known him personally, only having met him as an infant, but I am grateful for him sharing thier mutual familial live with each other and thier shared love of God.

Rest in peace, Gilberto.

I did not know my wife, Yvette's stepfather Gilberto. I am deeply touched by the love and respect they shared, those last 11 days of his life. They brought each other so much joy and his passing has grieved her immensely. He gave her more love than some members of her biological family ever had. From what I understood, he was a very simple, humble man. We were looking forward to having him live with us so he can receive better care, but the Lord took him home. His love has changed and healed my wife in ways that she never thought would. For that I am forever grateful. 

Estoy completamente desconsolada y muy triste por la perdida de mi padrastro Gilberto. Casi siento que no se hacia donde ir desde aqui. Gilberto me dio el amor que mi madre nunca me dio. Gilberto y mi padre biologico se llevaban muy  bien, y mi padre siempre trataba de ayudar a Gilberto. Ahora estan juntos en la presencia del Senor, y mientras tanto, yo estoy aqui tratando de navegar como sera mi vida sin el. La unica gracia salvadora que tengo, y la unica que necesito, es saber que el acepto al Senor antes de partir, y que se con certeza, sin ninguna duda, que esta en la gloria de Dios, alabando a Dios junto con mi padre biologico.