Giana Mejia

Flat Eddie’s trip to Palo Alto, traveling just as he enjoys.

When someone close to us passes away, we experience grief. For some, the healing process takes months but never truly seems to go away, or that seems to be the case for me at least. There are days when everything feels okay, but the emotion arises randomly from time to time. 

In July of 2023, my uncle, Edward Ventura, had passed away. It was a very difficult time for my family and I; he was a firefighter, a brother, a friend, and a kind soul to everyone. His death left a lasting impact on the communities around him, where he would constantly help and volunteer. A summer that was supposed to be filled with fun, I spent hoping for my uncle to come home. However, my family knew we had to uphold his great legacy and do what he loves most.

He started a charity many years ago called The Lola Project. In honor of his mom, also my grandmother, who passed away, he began a backpack drive at the Boys & Girls Club in La Habra, California. He would purchase or collect donations of backpacks of school supplies in order to provide those in need with them. This year would be the first year doing it without him, his friends and coworkers helped donate supplies and money to make it possible. We passed out 30 backpacks to kids and provided Yogurtland and pizza to them. They learned my uncle’s iconic phrase “Be good. Do good” because he always preached kindness. It’s something I need to stop and remind myself sometimes. While there, they hung a large photo of my uncle outside as we proceeded with the charity, making it feel as if he were with us.

My uncle Edward was fairly young, so he liked to travel; he went to places like Spain, New Orleans, Canada, and more. However, my family never traveled; in fact, I had not been on a plane since I was 6 years old until last September. On a very last minute trip, my mom, sister, and I decided to take a plane to San Francisco for a day. We went and visited the beautiful city of Palo Alto; we visited Stanford, local bookstores, and restaurants, while just enjoying the feeling of escape. Derek Moore (11) explains, “For me, going to Disneyland is an escape from reality that is often needed in today’s fast-paced life.” Sometimes just going out of the house can be the most relaxing escape. Although we did plan this trip for my uncle, carrying a small cartoon photo of him on every site we saw, it also helped us with our process of grief.

As it has only been 2 months since his passing, we plan to continue and carry out his legacy with us. A small pocket photo keeps my uncle with me everywhere we go. Similar to the book series, Flat Stanley, we created “Flat Eddie”. A simple photo holds sentimental value to us and continues to keep his life of adventure and love everywhere he goes.