With the big Jets game just days away, it makes me think of determination and how that can sometimes overcome the greatest of obstacles. How the strength of heart can move mountains or cross oceans.
My grandparents had determination and heart. They were from a small village, an aldea, in the province of Galicia in Spain. My grandfather’s family was poor – just a small family farm. His determination for a better life was what made him leave Spain and head to Cuba, then the land of opportunity for many Spaniards. As the daughter of the village blacksmith/gunsmith, my grandmother was the wealthier of the two, but she followed her heart across an ocean to be with my grandfather.
Their daughter, my mother, had both. When she didn’t like what was happening in Cuba, she decided to try and change it. When the change was worse than what had existed before, she was determined to make it better. It almost cost my mother her life. It did cost her the country that she loved and one and half years without my sister and me. That’s how long it took her to get us out of Cuba.
But she never lost heart during those one and a half years and she always thanked this Nation for the gifts it provided. I think my mom identified greatly with this Nation because it is one of determination and heart.
Born in dissatisfaction about unfair taxation and a distant king who would not listen to his subjects, the People of this Nation have prospered due to their determination to work hard and try to do better. As for heart, look no further than the reaction of the People to crises like the tsunami and now Haiti.
It’s the People who make a Nation what it is.
Which I guess leads to the Jets and their upcoming game against the Colts. Peyton Manning is arguably one of the finest quarterbacks ever with one of the best teams in football sharing the field with him. It’ll be a tough game for the Jets to beat the Colts. No doubt about it.
But I’m hoping the Jets have greater heart and determination much like my alma mater Villanova did back in 1985 when they pulled a Cinderella upset over what had been a dominant Georgetown team throughout the regular season.
Of course, if the Jets do win, I may be faced with a difficult dilemma if Minnesota also wins (Go Vikings!!).
Why? Because it’s tough not to root for the old guy especially when Favre is probably having one of his best seasons ever.
But I grew up watching the Jets practice at Hofstra. Even saw Jo Willy Namath throwing some passes one day on that practice field during his final years with the Jets. I guess you know where my allegiance will be if it does end up a Jets-Vikings Super Bowl.
For now . . .
GO JETS!!!
For this wallpaper and other Jets info, you can click here to visit the official Jets site.
