A Cuban woman now residing in Spain shared a deeply moving video on TikTok this past Tuesday. It captures the last embrace she shared with her grandmother before boarding a plane, unaware that just 27 days later, she would lose her beloved grandmother forever.
Known on the platform as @marinmesa99, the woman recounts her farewell on March 12 in Cuba, believing she would soon return. Tragically, her grandmother passed away on April 8.
"On March 12, I said goodbye to my grandmother and boarded that plane thinking I would hug her again. On April 8, she left us for good. Now I realize that embrace was not a 'see you later.' It was a goodbye," she wrote in the video description.
The clip lasts a mere 31 seconds but encapsulates one of the silent tragedies faced by many Cuban emigrants.
In the video, you can hear the grandmother pleading, "Hold me tight, hold me hard, love, hold me."
The young woman had been away from the island for four years when they reunited for what would be their final meeting. Four years during which her grandmother waited, and during which she, like many emigrants, thought time would be on their side.
"She waited for me for four years... but she couldn't wait any longer," she wrote.
The Emotional Toll of Distance
In her reflection, the Cuban woman highlights one of the harsh realities of living abroad: "For us, the years fly by with work, responsibilities, and building a life far away. But for those who stay behind, each day is another day waiting for our return."
She concludes with a poignant realization: "The emigrant learns too late that while we count the years we've been away, our loved ones count the days they've been waiting for us."
@marinmesa99's story is not unique. Losing loved ones while being far away, unable to say goodbye or attend a funeral, has become all too common for Cubans in the diaspora. Similar stories have shaken social media recently: a Cuban woman returning after four years to find her grandmother no longer recognized her, or a young man telling his grandmother before emigrating, "I don't know if I'll hug you again," in a video that garnered over 248,000 views.
Behind each of these stories is Cuba's largest migration crisis in history. Data from the National Office of Statistics and Information reveals that in 2024, 251,221 Cubans emigrated, with an estimated total of 1.79 million people leaving the island between 2021 and 2024.
This massive separation carries a human cost that no statistic can fully capture: grandmothers who wait years for their grandchildren, only to pass away before seeing them again; emigrants who learn, too late, that time does not always wait.
"Emigrating is learning to say goodbye without knowing when it will be the last time," wrote @marinmesa99. For thousands of Cubans scattered across the globe, this is not just a metaphor.
The Heartache of Cuban Emigration
How did @marinmesa99's video impact viewers?
The video resonated deeply with viewers, highlighting the emotional toll of emigration and the painful reality of losing loved ones while being far away.
What does the story of @marinmesa99 represent for the Cuban diaspora?
Her story reflects a common experience among Cuban emigrants who face the heartbreak of separation from family and the uncertainty of whether they will see loved ones again.
What are some common themes in stories shared by Cuban emigrants?
Common themes include the struggle of being far from family, the fear of not being able to return in time, and the emotional burden of missing important family milestones.