E-mail: Sun, 23 Nov 2003

  1. Because you are my mom
  2. Because you are my dad's wife
  3. Because you are a wonderful person
  4. Because you are very intelligent
  5. Because you have sacrificed to improve the lives of others
  6. Because you believe in life
  7. Because you have a lot of patience
  8. Because, as much as my father, you are my inspiration
  9. Because you like cold beer
  10. Because you know how to cook even though you have a PhD
  11. Because you remember Ingenio España
  12. Because you took me to your classrooms, offices, and workshops
  13. Because you have a laugh full of warmth
  14. Because you are bilingual
  15. Because you are idealistic
  16. Because you are pragmatic
  17. Because you were a scholarship student
  18. Because you were a student for five decades
  19. Because you are Cuban
  20. Because you are now American
  21. Because you divide all movie protagonists into good and bad
  22. Because you can no longer watch a movie from start to finish
  23. Because you now read more than I do, and in English
  24. Because you manage to move the elderly and children
  25. Because you fought against the bad in the Church
  26. Because you fought against the bad of Cuban communism
  27. Because you fight against ignorance
  28. Because you managed to keep your family united under difficult circumstances
  29. Because you travel without fear
  30. Because you know how to distinguish between the good and the bad of traditions
  31. Because you managed to triumph in exile
  32. Because you send dozens of Christmas cards every year
  33. Because you are always changing your computer's wallpaper
  34. Because you like simple jewelry
  35. Because you have lost a lot but have never asked for pity
  36. Because you have gained a lot but have never shown off
  37. Because you are the co-pilot and the chauffeur
  38. Because you have had consultations on two continents
  39. Because you are curious
  40. Because you "invent" it when you don't know it
  41. Because you believe in "hunches"
  42. Because you give more than what you ask for
  43. Because you know every church in Brooklyn and Queens
  44. Because you have trained teachers (male and female)
  45. Because you have trained fathers and mothers
  46. Because you have trained priests and nuns
  47. Because you managed to get your sister out of Cuba
  48. Because you wanted to live next to your brother
  49. Because ugly experiences have not made you bitter
  50. Because you like to dance
  51. Because storms scare you
  52. Because you always speak very carefully
  53. Because you know how to listen
  54. Because you taught me to appreciate Tres Patines and La Tremenda Corte
  55. Because you taught me to read
  56. Because you taught me to be an adult
  57. Because you gave me the confidence I still have in abundance
  58. Because you let me be my own person
  59. Because you appreciate my friends just as they are
  60. Because you registered as a member of AARP years ago
  61. Because you have your Isla del Sol
  62. Because you are the ideal companion for my dad
  63. Because you get along even with Americans you just meet in public spaces
  64. Because you like Disney World more than people expect at your age
  65. Because, at your age, you already have enough lists and all you need is a beach chair, SPF 30, and the manuscript of your autobiography

Congratulations, Mom.