My grandfather Raimundo Masferrer, my sister Alina and me, some 45 years ago or so.
Tonight, as I have for many New Year's Eves before, I remember my grandfather, Raimundo Masferrer, who along with his two brothers, packed themselves into a small boat and fled Cuba for an uncertain future in the United States. That same night, his wife -- my grandmother -- and their two children, including my father, went into hiding in Havana, not knowing for sure when, if ever, they would be reunited.
This New Year's Eve, 56 years later, that unease, that uncertainity about the future clouds the minds and hearts of those of us who worry about Cuba's future and desire for it a freedom that for too long has been extinguished on the island.
Many of us feel betrayed by an American president who appears more concerned about leaving his mark on history than keeping the promises that his predecssors had made to the Cuban people: That no rapprochement, that no lifting of the embargo, that no relaxing of travel rules, would happen until at the very least, the dictatorship began taking steps toward re-establishing democracy and freedom for Cubans.
But now, with no promises of anything in return from the Castro regime, the United States is promising the dictatorship the world: Diplomatic regcognition, easier access to the Internet, a promise to lobby Congress for the end of what remains of the so-called "embargo."
And all with no apparent signs that the president, who before he was elected said the goal of his Cuba policy would be libertad for the Cuban people, cares about those who suffer the worst deprivations and oppression at the hands of the regime he's so eager to deal with.
Recent events, however, highlight something that my grandparents and later my parents knew as they worked to grab their piece of the American dream: Achieving their destiny did not depend on the goodwill and graciousness of a government, foreign or domestic. Their success depended on their will and their willingness to make their dreams, their dream for a better life and for freedom, come true.
That is the opportunity the Cuban people have today: Their destiny is theirs to determine. To achieve the freedom that I am certain most of them desire, they will have to rise up and demand it. They must be willing to stand up and fight for it, in Cuba and not just from exile.
The odds against them are high, but whether they succeed is up to them, not the American government or most certainly, the Castro dictatorship.
In 2015 and beyond, that challenge may be more formidable than ever before. But the promise on the other side, as my grandparents and parents knew decades ago, makes the coming struggle very much worth the fight.
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