**To America, the Beautiful**

**To America, the Beautiful**

I want to express my deepest apologies for coming to your country. I have loved and cherished the idea of the American Dream as much as anyone else wishing for a better life for their family.

The beauty of this love story between America and me is about my father. After he passed away in Cuba, I realized I no longer belonged there. I carried all my father's failures, disappointments, pain, and suffering with me, along with his dreams and aspirations, believing I could make him proud.

Now, I know one thing for certain: my father is proud of me. I may never achieve financial wealth or success as the world defines it, but my father's legacy endures. It hasn't been easy, and I cry for him every single day. Yet, I hold onto the hope that one day, when I see him again, he will say, “That’s my daughter. I am proud of you.”