A young Cuban resident in France moved thousands of people with a video published on TikTok on Tuesday, in which he paid tribute to his late mother, exactly on the date she would have turned 59 years old.
The TikToker, identified as @jose_angel_98, recorded nearly six minutes in front of an altar decorated with purple flowers —his mother's favorite color— and shared a series of memories that painted the portrait of an extraordinary woman. "There are birthdays that are no longer celebrated with hugs, but with memories," he wrote in the video description.
"Today is my mom's birthday; she would have been turning 59 today. She was a fan of purple, and that's why we're like this today," she said at the beginning of the video, showing the altar she prepared with flowers she had never bought before and chose as soon as she saw them in the florist.
The young man recounted that his mother, originally from Camagüey and a scholarship graduate from the University of Santiago de Cuba, was a woman overflowing with joy, protective, and unconditional. She had the habit of buying postcards for all the neighbors in the neighborhood every Mother's Day and would send her children to slide them under the doors at midnight. "When my mom passed away, all the neighbors would tell me: we miss that postcard under the door, as no one else did it. She gave what she didn't have," he remembered.
Her strength was unwavering until the end. "I’ve never seen her cry in my entire life, never. The only time I saw her cry was when she stubbed her little toe," he said amidst laughter and tears. She was recognized as National Vanguard for her work, an honor that earned her a week of vacation at the Villa Cuba hotel in Varadero.
The mother passed away approximately 10 years ago, a victim of an incurable disease that gradually consumed her. "An illness took her from me that unfortunately still has no cure today, and watching her fade away little by little hurts," said the young man. In her final weeks, the family had to care for her like a child, but even in that state, she had moments of clarity that left a mark on those around her.
Her last birthday, on August 4, 2015, was etched in the young man's memory forever. With the whole family gathered, her mother asked in a moment of clarity, "Are all of you here because you know it's my last birthday?" He couldn't respond and had to leave the room.
Among the dreams she could not see fulfilled was her son's graduation in medicine. While he was still in 12th grade, she was already asking his father to buy "the caramel dress" for the ceremony. "All I asked God for was: please, let her be there at least to hear the news that I got into medical school. Unfortunately, it didn't happen," she confessed.
The TikToker also revealed that his mother always knew he was gay and accepted it without the need for a direct conversation, with the silent intuition that, according to him, only mothers possess.
Her favorite song was "La Promesa" by Melendi, which she asked to listen to over and over again. The young man has yet to attend a concert by the Spanish singer without being overwhelmed by emotion.
The video resonated with the Cuban community in the diaspora, which often faces the pain of mourning from afar, just like other Cubans who have grieved for their mothers from abroad without being able to say goodbye in person or visit their graves.
"Today is the birthday of the most beautiful, wonderful, and important woman in my life. Happy birthday, mom," the young man concluded his tribute.
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