Son proud of family work ethic

“My dad is from a family of 12 in Matamoros, Mexico. There were six women and six men. But my grandpa would always bring my father to go cut grass, track cows, trench out ditches — anything that had to do with the ranch. Sun up to sun down. Through the years, he came to realize that my grandpa was teaching him the value of hard work. If you have nothing else, you know you can always go to work and make things happen.

“My father has been involved in construction for years. He’s gone from industrial to commercial, wherever the work takes him. He’s always been a hands-on, hard-working man. If he doesn’t know how to do something, he learns. That’s something he’s passed on to me. He says, ‘Son, you’ve got to be wise. You’ve got your hands and your feet, and you’re smart. Try it. If it doesn’t work out, just relax, take a second look, and find a different way to try again.’

“In Spanish he says, ‘No pasa nada,’ which means ‘nothing happens.’ That’s a good way to approach life, whether it’s how to do something at work or how to interact with others. Sometimes you run into difficult people. But you’ve got to find a constructive way to speak to them and work with them. If one way doesn’t work, no sweat. No pasa nada. Think of a different way to handle the situation and try again.

“I’ve learned so much from my dad, just like he learned from his father. I love my last name. I just want to make a difference, like he has, and honor my family legacy.”

— Louis Soria