?What personal expectations do you hold yourself to?
Not many. Now at age eighty I am content living a quiet life, my expectations are not to become a heavy burden to Miriam, Bert and my family.
I reflect back on the many errors committed in the past, some attributable to youth, displacement, marrying too young, stubbornness, errors that affected Miriam, Pablo, Beto and Daniel, our life in general, but except for Pablo, to whom more love and tenderness as a baby and small child would have done a world of good, things turned out as well as could be expected.
We all commit errors as we progress through life, the only thing that helps is recognizing them, making amends and trusting in God.
Now, I wish peace, quiet and happiness for my family and I, that life continues as long as we are all in relatively good health, that I die before Miriam and of course my sons and grandchildren, surviving one son was already hard enough.
I am blessed with a positive attitude toward life, inherited from my father, that I hope never abandons me. As a Roman Catholic, I believe that the spirit does not die, only the body does, that I will be reunited with all my loved ones eventually, including the grandparents I never knew.
I am content playing with my computer, reading book after book, enjoying quiet conversations with Miriam and Bert, Laura and Betico when they come, Danny, Stacy and Carly when they call or come, trying to live one day at the time. Worry about politics, the way this country is going, with reminds me of the rapid destruction of Cuba and see it repeating itself here, albeit at a slower but implacable pace. It worries me not for Miriam and I, whom need little and have not many years left, some for Bert and Danny, but mostly for my grandchildren, who will suffer the consequences in the long term, as well as their issue.
The moral degradation, lack of principles, sublime ignorance and brainwashing of our youth is something I saw before in Cuba, where even people opposed to the regime were affected. The infiltration of our church, the only global religious organization large enough to oppose the global agenda, of universities and now even secondary and primary schools is terrifying, our youth is ignorant and disinterested, easily influenced by corrupt politicians and fake journalism as well as social media.
Here is hoping for a better future for our family, the rest of the country and the world. "As for Miriam and I, sons and grandchildren, peace and happiness.
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