Saturday, June 16, 2007

Tribute to my Father

My dear Father,


Since a card or a simple phone call can’t express all the emotions and things that I want to say. So here it goes:

Years have passed and distance has kept us away physically, but the bonds that we share will always be in my heart. You have taught me about the importance of family, love of country, and to cherish FREEDOM. I know you had to leave your beloved Cuba in the prime of your life to start anew in the U.S.A with nothing. We did not have much, but yet we had everything we needed! My fondest memories are when you coached baseball all those years. I can not forget the time when you going through all the signals with the batter and the batter just stared at you because he forgot the signs, and you yelled with your loud voice: “Hit the ball!!!” We cannot forget the “greatest” victory over Windy Hill! We can’t forget watching Reggie Jackson hitting those home runs in the World Series!

I cannot forget the simple things such as all my broken arms and fingers and YOU always being there for me in the emergency room. I can not forget my last basketball game in High School and probably feeling the lowest realizing one of my dreams being shattered, you were there comforting by your presence and taking care of the “situation.’

You made us laugh at the expense of the entire used car salesman in the area. Loved it when you kicked the tires and explicitly telling the salesman that he is crazy and that you did not come off the banana boat yesterday! We cannot forget all the SCRATCH and DENT sales, when we would walk in and you would say loudly: “where’s all the scratch and dents?”

Thanks for staying up all night with padrino fixing and painting the infamous 69 Malibu! The night before I got married, I did not go to a bachelor party, but spent it with my father drinking a beer and watching a baseball game, couldn’t have asked for anything better.

Dad, you have always been there for me. One of the reasons I do this blog is for you. I cannot FREE Cuba for you, but I will do everything I can to try to FREE Cuba. I hope one day we can step foot together all of the family in a Cuba libre!

Many years have passed my dear Father, time to come home!

Happy Father’s day!

4 comments:

Tomás Estrada-Palma said...

And I have my tribute to you Alfredo! Always a compassionate, unselfish gentleman who places 11 million good friends and family before his own needs. You ARE the example of the 21st Century Cuban that all the rest should strive to duplicate. What a wonderful little paradise Cuba would be with so many nice people there.

Rita Loca said...

Your post left me in tears! We are leaving Venezuela in two weeks for many of the same reasons your father left Cuba. If it weren't for the future of our children who are Venezuelan citizens, I think we would just stay and put up with it all. I know your father must hurt for his Cuba but I am sure he is happy that you have had a free life.

Anonymous said...

God Bless you Alfredo....you are indeed a true gentleman of great character....your parents taught you well. Happy Father's Day.
Sol

Anonymous said...

Happy father's day, my dear brother!