Page 52 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2026 - Online Magazine

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Senior
Senior

Bernice Villarreal

Leaving a

Legacy of

Love and

Strength

by Sykeri Diaz

hough it might sound a little cliché to say, “My to bring four children into the world alongside my
grandparent has made a big impact on my life,” grandpa, Robert Flores. While my grandpa worked
TI promise that when I say it, I mean it. Bernice hard to provide for their family, the balance between
Villarreal is the name of the woman who entered financial responsibility and being present wasn’t easy.
my life on September 9, 2007, and ever since then, Eventually, divorce became part of their story, leaving
my “Grammy” has been one of the most influential my Gram to navigate life as a single mother, raising
people I know. She has shaped the way I view strength, four children of different ages and stages—on her own.
independence, and what it truly means to live life as a That’s not exactly a situation anyone dreams of, but
woman with purpose. she stepped into it with strength and determination
anyway.
My Gram grew up in Lubbock during the 1960s, a
time defined by the civil rights movement, racial Raising children alone, especially teenagers, is no small
segregation, the Vietnam War, and constant protests task (and honestly deserves a medal). Yet somehow,
demanding change. As a young Mexican girl, she my Gram managed to raise four healthy, successful
witnessed discrimination and inequality firsthand, kids while carrying the full weight of responsibility on
experiences that would shape her resilience and her shoulders. When I find myself complaining about
character. Growing up in a household of seven, she life being hard, wishing things were just a little easier,
was surrounded by family and love, never really I stop and think about her. I think about how her life,
knowing what it meant to be alone. That sense of and her children’s lives, depended on how she chose to
togetherness followed her into adulthood, until life respond to each obstacle. There’s something incredibly
tested her in ways she never expected. In the late heavy, yet powerful, about knowing that your mindset,
1980s, my Gram was blessed with the opportunity work ethic, and reactions determine not only your

52 Lubbock Senior Link