Next time I ask for CHANGE, I’m going to be more specific

Hello everyone!  It’s me, Amy!

So, I know I haven’t written in quite some time and you’ve probably wondered what happened to me . . .

Well, I was stuck at a job that I was miserable in and was always so exhausted after work that I didn’t have time to READ let alone WRITE any posts.  Thanks to my praying Mom (and my own prayers) I have been "let go."  This is a blessing and a curse.  I now have the glorious task of finding a new job and plenty of time to do so.

But let me tell you why February is not my favorite month so far . . .

It was a Friday night and I was so happy to have two days off.  I was bummed that I wasn’t in MIAMI like my 94 year old abuela.  (She is living the life I wish I had, I swear!)  I stopped by Mom’s house to drop something off and had no intention of staying (since she came back sick from HAWAII).  And that’s when my world turned upside-down.

Mom:  "Have you heard about your Tio?"

Me:  "Yeah, he was in surgery or something.  I’ve been praying.  Why?"

Mom:  "He’s dying."

Me:  "WHAT??"

(You need to know, this was my favorite uncle we were talking about.  One of the few Cuban men in my life.)

Mom:  "It doesn’t look good.  I would go to the hospital, but I’m sick.  Can you go?"

Me:  "Which hospital?"

I called my cousin to let her know I was on my way.  After a 30 minute drive where the tears would not stop flowing, I finally got to the hospital and somehow found my way to my uncle’s room.  My cousin had warned me to not freak-out when I saw all the tubes and machines my uncle was hooked-up to, but nothing could have prepared me for it.

I’ve never had to do a "death bed" scene.  It was just like the movies.  I walked into the room and there was no sign of my family anywhere.  Just my uncle lying there with his eyes closed and hooked up to all kinds of machines.  I sat down and had no idea what to do next.  In the calmest voice I could muster, I asked the nurse what people usually do.  She told me to talk to him like it was a normal day.  So I did.

"Oye Tio, te vez como &$%&!"  ("Uncle, you look pretty. . . umm . . . crappy")  After I’d told him about my week and my plans for the weekend (which included going salsa dancing), I figured it was about time to go . . . but before I left I felt like I had to sing him a song that always reminds me of him.

"Mama you quiero saber, de donde son los cantantes . . ." 

He opened his eyes.  I don’t know if he recognized me or not, but he responded to my song.  It took everything in me to not burst into tears (I saved them for when I was back in my car).

Three days later I lost my job.  A week later, fidel decides to bore us all with his retirement plan.  Here I was praying for CAMBIO and the only CHANGE I get is a CHANGE in dictator?  I need to be more specific in my prayers.  So I start praying that God would "set the captives free."  (those are the exact words I’ve been using in my prayers for CHANGE).

So, here I am, praying for change.  What is the next change that happens?

My uncle died.  He waited until fidel was officially no longer in charge and then Tio was at peace.  And now February 19, 2008 will forever be the day that fidel and my Tio both "resigned."

Looking for comfort, but having no idea where to get it, I opened my Bible for my daily reading.  I am currently in Leviticus (a really boring part of the Old Testament).  And there I found HOPE.  My chapter that day was Leviticus 25. 
A chapter that talks about the Year of Jubilee.

See, every 50 years, the Jews were to (you won’t believe this):

"Set this year apart as holy, a time to proclaim FREEDOM throughout the
land FOR ALL who live there. It will be a jubilee year for you, when
each of you may return to the land that belonged to your ancestors and
return to your own clan."

And that’s when it hit me . . . As Cubans, we are in our 49th year of Exile. 

People, our Year of Jubilee is NEXT YEAR!!

(As a side note, in the Charada the number 49 is the Borracho, which perfectly describes the younger castro brother, but, as my mom would say, that’s not important right now.)

So, I’m still praying for CAMBIO, and now I know it’s possible.

Tio, I will miss you terribly.

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