• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
My Big Fat Cuban Family

My Big Fat Cuban Family

Recipes · Blog · Shop

  • Meet Marta
    • Media Mentions
  • Lifestyle
    • Cuban-American Life
    • My Big, Fat, Cuban Family
  • Entertainment
    • Disney
    • Marvel
    • Television
    • Concerts
    • Books
    • Theatre
  • Celebrate
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Cuban Christmas
    • Mother’s Day
    • Movie Nights
    • Summer Nights
  • Recipes
    • Cuban Recipes With Pictures
    • Family Favorites
    • My Cook Book
  • Shop
    • Cuban Foods Poster
    • Cuban T-Shirts
    • Costa Rican Foods Poster
    • Honduran Foods Poster
    • Puerto Rican Foods Poster
    • Salvadoran Foods Poster
    • Scottish Foods Poster
    • Customize Your Own
    • Cuban Goodies In Your Mailbox
  • Contact
    • Advertise
  • Archives

FORTY-SEVEN YEARS is a long time to wait for change

February 13, 2008 By Marta Darby 3 Comments

Luza_papi_engaged049
These are my very young parents.  They would have been in their 30’s in this picture.
It is my father’s birthday.  He would have been 97 today. (He passed away in 1999.)

But something else happened on his birthday back in 1961 on this day that we would commemorate long after he passed away.  Our family arrived in Miami on February 13th, 1961.  My father’s 50th birthday.

We celebrate it still.  In fact I wrote a post about it last year.

My mom: "Sabes que dia es?" ("Do you know what day it is?")
Me: "El cumpleanos de Papi." ("Papi’s birthday.")
My mom: "Y 47 anos que estamos en el exilio." ("And forty-seven years in exile.")

My dad’s birthday and the day of our exile. They will remain forever married on the time/space continuum that measures my big, fat Cuban family.

Because that event, that simple crossing the 90 miles of Florida Straights, has been a life-defining event.
And we’ll NEVER get over it. 
And we’ll NEVER forget where we came from.
And it will FOREVER define us. 
Not just as Cuban refugees, but as Cuban Americans.

Happy Birthday, Papi. 47 years. It doesn’t seem possible.
If he were here today, I like to think that my dad would be one of my faithful blog readers.
And he’d agree with me that Forty-seven years is way too long to wait for change in Cuba.

But, Papi, I’m getting impatient. . .
I want change TODAY.

"CAMBIO."

And he would smile in agreement.  😉

You might also like:

Next time I ask for CHANGE, I’m going to be more specific The more things change, the more they stay the same… KIA “Fun and Forty” Challenge – Miami to Key West – Part 1 Almost 50 years.

Filed Under: Cuban-American Life

Previous Post: « You’re all invited to my Pity Party!
Next Post: Celebration of Chocolate »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ms Calabaza says

    February 13, 2008 at 2:33 pm

    Marti,we arrived Nov. 13, 1961. My parents have both passed now and it saddens me that they are not going to be around to see cambio. I have my return flight voucher (Pan-Am) Miami-La Habana framed and on a wall in my office. You see, my parents thought we would be back in 6 months, so they bought round-trip tickets. It’s hard to forget what our parents went through for us. God bless.

    Reply
  2. mario says

    February 13, 2008 at 10:12 pm

    Beautiful entry, Marta. Today, I shall join you in celebrating your dad and all our parents who made sacrifices for us and in praying for cambio.

    Reply
  3. Claudia says

    February 15, 2008 at 7:10 pm

    You should not be asked to forget the day your family’s life changed forever. I’ve heard so many people say that exiles need to get over it. I ask then how long it would take them to get over giving up life as they know it here. My guess is infinity.besos

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

TRY SUPER SMOOTH CAFE LA LLAVE ESPRESSO

Cafe La Llave

My Cuban T-Shirt Designs

“Cuban T-Shirts

Subscribe to MBFCF Newsletter!

Never miss a post! Sign up with your email address to receive recipes, news and updates right in your inbox!

Cuban Foods Poster

“Cuba

Cuban Coffee Poster

“Cuba

Cuban Desserts Poster

“Cuba poster - Cuban desserts subway art print

Get Snacking On California Strawberries!

California Strawberries

Most Recent Posts

  • Best Places That Will Ship Cuban Food To Your Door
    December 15, 2020
  • My Big Fat Cuban Family Christmas Gift Guide 2020
    December 3, 2020
  • My Needs Are Simple: The Verizon CareSmart Watch
    December 3, 2020
  • The Quest for Authentic Chimichurri – Cocina Knows
    November 30, 2020
  • Hogwarts Halloween
    October 30, 2020

Cuban Recipes Cookbook

Cuban recipes with pictures cookbook from My Big Fat Cuban Family

Abuela Mami

Abuela Mami Gifts

Cuban Food Market

Cuban Food Market

Follow Me on Instagram

mybigfatcubanfamily

My Big Fat Cuban Family Blog
Check out➡️ the newest addition to my shop. ☺️They make the BEST Christmas presents! 🎄🎁🎉

https://etsy.me/2VVscre

9x12 Personalized, handmade maple or walnut cutting boards.🥳
10% off through Dec 10th with code: 
CUTTINGBOARD10
(How clever is that?😁)
[shop link in profile]
De aquí p’al cielo! 
🙌🏼❤️🇨🇺

#ohthecubanity #martadarbydesigns #cubanfood #cuttingboard
Our Cuban motto should be: “Colamos 24/7” 🇨 Our Cuban motto should be: “Colamos 24/7” 🇨🇺☕️ 
Am I right? ✌🏼😎

#mybigfatcubanfamily @cafelallave #thedrinkofmypeople🇨🇺☕️ @havanabamacafe
I’m super excited to share with you My Big Fat C I’m super excited to share with you My Big Fat Cuban Family Christmas Gift Guide 2020 🇨🇺🎁🎅🏻 featuring all my favorite Cuban online shops. 🛍 Take a look around and make me proud. 👀 
Shop Cuban! 🇨🇺🎄❤️
You are the heart and soul of our Cubanity. 🇨🇺❤️🇺🇸

https://bit.ly/3qvrq2q

All the guide links in my story on my blog. Follow the link☝🏼in my profile. 

@marthaofmiami_shop
@lovelovegoose
@cafelallave
@havana78soaps
@guavettes_wonderland
@_ofpalmandpine
@havanabamacafe 
@albisacandles
@cassava_bath_and_body
@habanabrandclothing 
@santayanajwlrs
@pinpanpunco
@theartroomandcrafts
@peroletmetellyou
@porkchop_prints
@becaletters
@jennizzle
@lovelovegoose
@mybigfatcubanfamily 

#CubanGiftGuide #CubanChristmas 
#ohthecubanity
I’m kind of in love with my Verizon #CareSmart W I’m kind of in love with my Verizon #CareSmart Watch.🥰
Even if it’s reminding me to take my meds. (Shut up. I know.)😉

I wrote about all the features I love on my blog today.🤩❤️

https://bit.ly/3ofSjVU

(Story link☝🏼in profile)
.
#VerizonPartner

Promo from now thru 12/31: $50 off w/ purchase of any other smartphone #ad https://omm.media/CareSmart
Follow Marta on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details.

Follow Marta On Social

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

FEATURED POSTS

  • Best Places That Will Ship Cuban Food To Your Door
    December 15, 2020
  • My Big Fat Cuban Family Christmas Gift Guide 2020
    December 3, 2020
  • It’s Cuban Christmas Crema De Vie Time!
    December 7, 2017
  • My Big Fat Cuban Cooking Playlist
    November 21, 2016
  • Crema de Vie (Cuban Egg Nog) Recipe
    July 27, 2016

Blog Archives

Footer

Meet Marta

Marta Verdes Darby is a Cuban-American food blogger in South Orange County.

Connect

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sign Up For My Newsletter

February 2008
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
2526272829  
« Jan   Mar »

Copyright © 2021 my big fat cuban family