I said in a post that I would talk about friends, and possibly one of the most difficult blog entries to express is this one. Because they are family, you take it for granted that they will be there, but when it happens you don’t know how happy I am to be able to have that little piece of heaven, that love of family with my DNA. We all know perfectly well what our place is and if not, time will put us in our place. With neither resentment nor anger, this has also made me understand the absence or existence of Oscar – thank you my darling. Because family is created around experiences, memories and love.

And friends. This word encompasses so many profiles, of whom you take nothing for granted and who surprise you every day. There are also those who have surprised me in a sad way, when there were conversations about our children, our work or our own relationship as friends. Now there is emptiness, a complete emptiness that you do not understand, until you realise that there are people who do not know how to be by your side in difficult moments, who do not know how to manage their emotions and choose to move away…

And then there are those friends who organise an event in your home, hosts and guests at the same time in your own home, where you just have to let them carry you on, as I said to them, you know where I keep the whiskey and where the rubbish bags are, that says a lot in very little. Friends who help you to carry on with what they know: the digital handyman who without him this blog would not be possible, the gentleman and his family who are all love, their generosity is immense, without them I could not express truly the feeling they put into all the translations. I will always be grateful to you for making my love for Oscar reach so many places in the world. In such a humble way, they sent us a letter from Manchester United Football Club, the club that Oscar was so passionate about, his scarf went with him and this family decided to write to the club and tell them about Oscar; and when they got an endearing letter they sent it to us. Can you imagine what Oscar would have said if he knew that his club had spoken about him in such a close and beautiful way? We love you and thank you for your support.

Then there are those who brighten up our day at work, who make each day a new challenge for Jorge and me and make us want to continue, who by just looking into our eyes know how we feel. Sometimes it is a day of «memes» or a day of an affectionate hug, even one of those squeezes that reset you and give you strength and energy to face another day. People who were simple companions at your side but who, through their actions, become close friends. That person who says good morning and good night without fail, the one who calls you or writes to you every night and these are moments of therapy, of determination and affection, «every day I will write to you or call you», others lack time to accompany us just by saying it, people who fill your heart and do not dry your tears but accompany them and listen to you and are simply there, by your side. Maybe they are people who have gone through a bereavement or not, but their close and loving profile helps you to overcome and integrate this pain into our daily lives, people who will always remain in my heart. And this company is even more appreciated because although we are still in our circle, we know that things happen to you too and many times you leave them aside as if they didn’t matter. Thank you.

Suddenly I meet a friend next to my child in the cemetery and both of our eyes well up. I am happy and we chat and I feel more than ever that closeness and that priceless affection. In these months, improvised visits, endless calls and messages, hugs that give you energy, and luxury snacks. I have hundreds of anecdotes, drawings of your children, the kids’ essays in which Oscar is the protagonist, goals dedicated to the sky and those Ó7 logos that circulate and accompany you, how proud I feel and close to happiness although always with that sorrow, oh my child what is stirring here for you!

Oscar taught us and gave us lessons in how to show loyalty to your friends. A person who respected and let others do what they wanted, faithful to his beliefs and noble by nature. Of course, he had his quirks or defects, although he always spoke well of those he had at his side or at least tried to understand other positions, always giving me lessons on how to behave and show tolerance

The union of the 5 horsemen was decisive in his life. Little by little a union was forged that was not just between the 5 of them, but also between their families. A large part of the parents of that generation are my family now, the one that you can’t take away even with hot water, beautiful inside and out, that laughs and cries with you.

In addition to these wild friends in his life and in his heart, he had room for many other friends who were deep in his heart, who today embrace us as sincere friends who go beyond the time they shared a playground or a ball. Many others he met in football, in that Camp de Futbol de Sant Just where he mixed friends from the two football clubs, Sant Just and Athletic Sant Just. There were no borders for him nor rivalry, that aspect did not go with him and he enjoyed watching matches of both teams. That is why the tribute to Oscar was held mixing players and coaches of both clubs as if they were one and I must say that the image was exemplary.

I realised what a heart my boy had, and although he was sometimes frugal with his words and even soft, he had no qualms about celebrating and entertaining his lifelong bro. A letter written from the heart that made us proud parents cry for their children, united forever, an 18th birthday letter full of memories, nostalgia, sincerity and above all the love of a brother, M&L forever engraved on the skin.

Thank you for sharing your «I dreamt about Oscar». How envious you make me; I can feel that positive energy that helps me go on one more day. Maybe, one day I will wake up with a smile, maybe one day I will be given a moment of peace….

Friendship is the most generous, sincere and courageous value that one can offer, the one that does not let you fall, that accompanies you from near and far, thousands of kilometres away, the one that in a few hours makes you travel hundreds of kilometres and say «how crazy you are» and cry with joy. They allow you, without fear, to say what you think. You are safe, they do not judge you, they respect your limits, they face uncomfortable conversations that often fill their faces with pain and above all they put aside their moment, often very hard to do, to listen to you, because I know that you all go through difficult moments and yet you are still there. I could not live through this difficult time without the friendship of my family and friends. Because friendship is not incompatible with blood and blood is not incompatible with your best friend.

Oscar’s friends, grief-stricken boys and girls that I have hugged many times and taken in all that is beautiful in each of them. That feeling of sorrow, sadness and pain mixed with impotence and rage. Friends who have united more than ever thanks to Oscar’s memory. May it last in time, may Oscar be the link that unites them, because there is no better look than that of a friend who, despite all the bad things, continues to look at you with determination and friendship.

In the memory of a child, no one dies