About Geisele Friedfel
I feel so blessed to have grown up in beautiful Hawaii. My fondest childhood memories are of sitting on a beach with the tradewinds blowing through my hair with sand between my toes and the sound of waves breaking on the shore. To this day, the ocean beckons me when I’m feeling sad or when I need to clear my mind and center my soul. My family consisted of five brothers and four
sisters. Three of my siblings as well as my parents have passed. We all loved Ala Moana beach and spent so many happy moments there. I was always a dreamer and a planner. As a child, I sat looking
up at the sky watching airplanes fly overhead. I’d say, someday I’m going to fly away and travel the mainland or dare I dream – the world. The locals referred to what I suffered from as “rock fever.”
Being from very humble beginnings, traveling to faraway lands seemed so out of reach. I was blessed with the gift of never giving up on dreams and made it all a reality. The one dream I could not seem to obtain was true love. I prayed to the Lord and left things in his hands. Not even two weeks later Jeffrey stepped into my life. Granting me something so many search for their whole life and sadly sometimes never find —their one true love. But falling so deep in love does come with a price. Knowing that my beloved was in country during the Vietnam War, I knew the dream of us becoming that gray haired couple in rocking chairs sitting on the front porch quite possibly would not be ours. He was fourteen years my senior and knowing from the vets in my family the devastating effect of AO exposure, I still committed myself to making every moment count. I have never regretted the decision to be with him. Nor the sad decision to leave my island home in search of a better life for my child and me. To obtain it, I had to swallow my fears and venture off into unknown territory. Had I not ended up in New York, I strongly believe Jeff and I would never have met. Divine intervention brought us together and divine intervention helps me to heal this shattered heart.
Attending church was always an integral part of growing up into adulthood. I attend The First Baptist Church of Honolulu. God, Pastor Barry Lovett and the rest of the church family have been instrumental in helping me along my grief journey. Out of sorrow inner strength is born. I have always been someone who faced emotions head on. Those of grief are not exempt. When faced with losses one after another, escape for me was not an option. I lean into and embrace the hurt and give grief the respect and time it deserves. For what is grief but another form of love? We cry, we hurt deeply because we loved deeply and felt the loss deeply. Often times rocking our soul to the core. Only by going through grief, not around, over or under it, can the healing truly begin. When I was newly bereaved by Jeff’s death, I asked God to give me the strength to place one foot in front of the other and just to get me through life one moment at a time.
Alexander Miguel, Sr., Geisele’s father who served in Korea and was awarded a Purple Heart.
My dad in Korea.
A PROMISE TO MY ANGEL...
His words still resonate in my heart — “Tell the story of our love share the tragedy of cancer from Agent Orange and how it claimed
our world. Tell others like you who still have their vet soldiers to make every moment count before they run out of time. Promise me my love that you will tell others not to let one moment pass without embracing life.”
An empowering poetry collection; love, healing, self-love, inner strength, personal transformation, self-growth, hope, and happiness. A visual delight that brings the authors words to light. Note: the book has a glossy black border on the front and a black back cover with photos and text. Please view the video it’s a wonderful representation of it.