I have one isolated memory of my Papa.
We traveled to Florida to visit him because we had found out that he was sick. All that I really remember about that trip is a foggy memory of him giving me a baby doll. Nowadays, that doll sits in my garage with some of my other keepsakes. It used to laugh whenever you pressed it’s stomach, but it hasn’t done so for a very long time.
Papa passed away soon after that visit as a result of lung and bone cancer. I was only two years old at that time.
I discovered as I grew older that it can be very difficult to learn about someone who has passed away. If they did not write memoirs, or share their story with others it’s hard to get insight into their life.
How will I approach this issue?
I have a few strategies to help me get over these hurdles:
I will contact as many people as I can who knew my Papa at differing points throughout his life. This will help me to piece together who he was in different aspects of his life. Unfortunately, I have no connections from of his prior to immigrating to the United States. So, I will have to find another way to learn about his life in Cuba.
Papa kept journals. He wrote about strategies for his business, difficulties in his personal life, and more. I will read through these journals to learn how he processed the things that were major factors in his life. It will also give me insight into his view as a business owner and even a father.
He had begun writing a book about his own life. However, I have only been able to find two pages of this book. All on its’ own, it gives me quite a bit of insight into the experience of him leaving Cuba for the United States. It is the only information I have been able to find that documents his experience of this moment.
Over the next week…
I will be reading through some of the journal entries that I discovered and taking a trip to Florida, where I will have the opportunity to speak to some of my relatives about Papa and his character and life. My main focus will be on him as a person and how he behaved in different social roles.
I honestly have no clue what to expect, but I am looking forward to the experience, and the chance to get to know more about his life.