This Father’s Day, I salute my father for passing along his dreams, his joys of life and his infectious laughter. All while providing practical paths to follow.

My father was a dreamer and then the Cuban Revolution turned him into a pragmatist. He had big dreams as a young man in Cuba. He became an attorney with all the ideals in the principles of the Law, especially the belief in Freedom and Justice. He believed that the Law provided the best way to maintain order in the chaos that man could impose on the world. He believed that every person has the right to the presumption of innocence. He believed that our nature as human beings is primitive and requires redirection towards the common good. He believed all these concepts so much so that he became involved with the Revolution.

At 33 he immigrated to the U.S. with a profound sadness and loss for his country and a grateful heart for an opportunity to start over. Here his dreams were set aside in order to survive and protect my mom and myself. He did what he had to do – as so many political exiles had done before him and since. He returned to school and to the Law as soon as he could. However now his dreams of a just society in his homeland were locked away. He became the practical provider. He still believed in the Law and its power as the voice of the underdog. These were the values I was raised with.

My father was a complicated man – there were many layers to him so my relationship with him was just as complicated. It was hard being his daughter – lots of dichotomies, but I was the apple of his eye and was strongly encouraged in education and the enjoyment of life. He and my mother believed in working hard and then playing hard!

He passed these ideals and dreams to me – in a different way. Both of us wanted to help people navigate life’s troubles. He through the Law, and I through the heart and mind. We did not see eye to eye on our chosen paths often, but in the end were able to respect those differences and create a special bond.