A Message of Hope
By Alberto Reyes Pías
I have been thinking about a message of hope.
It is no secret that Cuba is immersed in a systemic crisis, one that grows worse with each passing day, while the Government seems concerned only with repression.
Those in power appear to have no real interest in seeking a solution—perhaps because, given the degree of deterioration the island has reached, any improvement would mean empowering the people and accepting a loss of power. And for them, losing power is unacceptable.
And yet, I believe the worst part of this moment is that we have lost hope once again. The days go by without a light on the horizon, and the hopes we held only a few months ago have slowly faded.
But no evil lasts forever, and the oppression weighing upon our land will not last forever either.
That is why I tell you: do not lose hope.
I know you are tired. I am tired too. I know there are days when it seems the darkness will never end, when it feels as though we will remain forever immersed in hardship, in the absence of freedom, in a weariness that slowly extinguishes the soul.
But we must remember something: a difficult situation never has the final word. And if you do not face it, if you give up along the way, then when that situation finally ends, you may no longer have the strength or the hope to embrace the light.
Do not allow scarcity to rob you of your dignity, nor fear to take away your ability to speak the truth.
Do not allow pain to turn you into someone you do not want to be.
Keep helping those around you. Keep reaching out your hand. Keep speaking the truth. Keep caring for your family. Keep close to your friends.
Because every act of love, solidarity, and honesty keeps a light burning—a light that no darkness can extinguish.
It is true that we do not know how long this night will last. But no night lasts forever, and this one will be no exception.
Cuba is not only its problems. Cuba is also her children—their capacity to love, to share, to rise again, to reinvent themselves.
Keep remembering, again and again, the voice of the God who never stops saying to you: “I am with you.”
This does not mean that there will be no difficulties. It means that you will not have to walk through them alone.
Do not lose hope. Guard your heart, and never stop doing good.
Do something good for someone today. And while we wait for a new dawn, do not stop being a light for the person walking beside you.
Look for someone who is struggling and help them. Share whatever you can. Call someone who is alone. Help a family with food or medicine. Listen. Comfort. Encourage.
Do not wait until you have the power to change everything. Begin by helping one person.
Because Cuba, despite her chains, will move forward if we do not stop believing in the dawn—and if, in the midst of the night, we continue to reach out our hands to one another and do good for each other.