Thankful Thursdays

A Spooky Night, a Sweet Beginning, and 54 Years of Freedom 🇨🇺🇺🇸🎃

Hard to believe this Halloween marks 54 years since I arrived in America. Fifty-four years! Where did the time go?

On Halloween night, 1972, I finally arrived in Miami to reunite with my family after a few chorizo-filled years in Madrid, Spain. I was only nine and had no idea what trick-or-treating was! On the drive from the airport, I saw ghosts, witches, skeletons, and all kinds of strange creatures roaming the streets. I must have wondered what on earth I had gotten myself into! That night was my first real taste of Halloween in America, and it certainly left an impression.

Growing up in La Habana, I heard stories about Miami, where my cousins lived. I’ll never forget the surprise Air Mail envelopes they sent, each with a stick of Juicy Fruit gum. I made that gum last a whole month! 😂 I’m not kidding. In late-1960s Cuba, especially for a family preparing to leave the country, chewing gum was a real luxury. Oh, how sweet it was!

Mira, tus primas te mandaron chicle!  Music to my ears!  Little did I know that Halloween would bring a guaranteed bag full of candy and, best of all, more gum every year!

Fast-forward to 2026, and Halloween still means freedom, family, and treats. And now we have our grandson Elias. One more little one to dress up in costume and share the Halloween fun with. Life really does come full circle!

I’m so grateful for this journey and all the blessings along the way.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Halloween! And if you drive through our neighborhood, notorious for hundreds of kids roaming the streets on Halloween, and stop by our house, you might just get an extra-special treat in your bag this year! ✝️😊

What are you thankful for today?

Until next Thursday’s post… si Dios quiere.

“There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch.”
-Robert Brault

“Every day is an opportunity to make Jesus known.”

#769