Tonya Rich
Everyone has his own history or story of origin. I am no different. However, it is not necessarily the story itself that is much of importance to me. The theme of the story is what influences who I am and how I live.
My father was born on September 30, 1951 in Havana, Cuba. On January 1, 1959, Fidel Castro came into power. My grandfather owned a very successful tobacco farm and a prominent flower business in Cuba. He was about to retire at age 30, when Cuba fell to the communist regime. When my grandparents learned about this shocking and upsetting event, they knew living in Cuba would never be the same. They knew they had to escape. The first chance came on April 7, 1961. My father, Rene Leon, was at the risk of being forced into the military because Castro seized his school and converted it into a military school. My grandparents, Julia and Pedro, saw this as an opportunity to send my father to America. They wanted to save him from being forced into the new Cuban regime. They did the unthinkable and sent their only son to America, not knowing if they would ever see him again. That heart wrenching uncertainty was a result of several risks they would have to take in order to escape. Their opportunity came in May 10, 1962, when my grandparents along with my aunt, Maria Julia, fled Cuba with the clothes on their backs as their only possessions. When they arrived in the states, they reunited with my father who had been staying with family that had escaped Cuba before Castro.
Reunited at last, they embarked on their new life in Tampa, Florida. A very new and different life. It was very difficult, they could not speak English, had very little money, and missed the extended family that stayed behind in Cuba. Both grandparents tool up day and night jobs which left them little time to spend with their two kids. There were a lot of difficult times. One particular time was when my grandfather started a new business planting Gladiolus in a farm in the outskirts of Tampa. Not being familiar with the unpredictable weather in Central Florida, they lost the entire harvest when a cold front with a hard freeze descended into the area. This event caused my grandparents to go back to square one: working in factories, cleaning people’s homes and at times holding two jobs. However, they were determined to make it in their adopted land.
Through hard work and sacrifices including several failed business attempts, my grandparents were able to open a small sod company in 1964. My father started college and wanted to pursue a degree in horticulture. However, he had to abandon his this dream to join my grandfather in the new business. My grandfather’s English was still limited and he needed his son to help him run the business. However, with the knowledge my father acquired during his shirt time in college, he was able to add another branch to the sod operations. He added retail nursery with landscaping operations to the sod company.
Today Leon and Son Sod Company is one of the largest and well established sod suppliers in the Tampa Bay area. They no longer own the nursery operations, but the business has been successful. It has been tough at times, especially recently with the downfall of the construction industry. However, they have managed to stay afloat and keep their course.
What I have learned from this story is that determination, hard work and perseverance are qualities I cannot ignore. My grandparents were able to create something out of nothing. They created a meaningful lie for my father and my aunt. As my father’s son who is interested in the value of the struggle my family has endured, I am eager to not take their sacrifices for granted. With the lessons of solid work ethics and unrelented perseverance, I can apply them to my like in order to make the generation beyond me even stronger.
P Rene Leon III
