Daniela Lopez is one of the nicest, sweetest, and most loving of persons I know. However, you would never guess how much pain and courage is there behind her kind and smiling eyes.
“I have no family right now. My dreams are broken.”
Since her childhood, Daniela believed that family was the foundation of everything: happiness, joy, success, and personal growth. She dreamt of her family being together forever. She dreamt of sweet moments spent with her parents to never end.
She was only twelve years of old when she accidentally found some love letters her father had been writing to a woman who was not her mother. Daniela did not dare to tell her mom what she had discovered, but sooner or later truth made its way out. When Daniela’s mom found out about her husband’s affairs, she was in tears. Raised as a high class and faithful woman, Daniela’s mom did all she could to save the marriage. She faithfully encouraged her children to keep honoring their father expressing her hopes that someday he would change.
Days, weeks, months, and years have gone by, but the desired change did not come. Daniela’s mom found herself in the whirlpool of emotional trauma and distress.
Yet, Daniela kept believing. Nevertheless, despite her hopes and dreams, her father was not changing. Lavish life, career success, and beautiful women took over his life. Family was no longer a part of his picture.
Daniela’s mother plunged deeper into the pains and torture of being rejected, betrayed, and left alone. This took a toll on her physical health as well. It has been a year since Daniela saw her mother collapse under the pressure of a broken dream and succumb to the fatal hands of death.
Was her dream ever to come true? Is it worth believing and having dreams?
“Times were tough, times are tough, but I know it is temporary. Heavenly Father is my best friend –that’s all I have right now. I don’t think I would be alive right now without this knowledge. I don’t have a mortal mother or mortal loving father right now. My Father in Heaven is the one who is there for me.”
I admire Daniela’s wisdom and courage to keep moving forward. Yes, she sometimes feels absolutely lonely. Occasionally, it seems that her loneliness will never end. She can no longer find anything like the bond she had with her mother. And at times it feels like there is no man whom she could trust.
But as I spoke with her today, she radiated a bright inner hope. She’s taking life one step at a time. As I witnessed her optimism and faith, I came to realize that moving forward is not determined by what we don’t have or what we do have. Moving forward is determined by what we do with what we have.
