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Gloria Estefan
: This is an opening gift tht we are making in conjunction with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of half a million dollars.
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Gloria Estefan quote-This is an opening gift tht we are making in conjunction with Blue...
Wisdom feed seeded by this
quote
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2nd Baron Mancroft Mancroft :
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My first car was painted red down one side and blue down the other to confuse witnesses in case of an accident.
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William Morris Hughes :
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Without the Empire we should be tossed like a cork in the cross current of world politics. It is at once our sword and our shield.
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Gloria Estefan :
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We established [The Gloria Estefan Foundation] in 1993, because I was getting so many pitches from charities that I thought the best way to maximize our charity dollars was to establish a foundation, where you can do so many things. [The royalties from] four of my songs go directly to my foundation, and I don't have to bother people for money. I have been funding it myself all these years, from diffent concerts that I do that pay right to my foundation. It's what I love to do. It's something that makes me very happy. . . [The foundation has helped] from small things to large things. Every time there has been a natural disaster, we, thought the American Red Cross, have helped. Not just here , but in Nicaragua and Honduras. Obviously, Miami is very close to my heart.
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2
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Ron Paul :
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Neil Cavuto: Yeah but, you can't, Congressman, we've got a pretty good economy going here, right? We've got productivity soaring. We've got retail sales that are strong. We've got corporate earnings that for, what, the 19th quarter, are up double digit? We've got a market chasing highs, I mean, this isn't happening in a vacuum, right? Ron Paul: Yeah, that's nice, but when you have to borrow, you know... My personal finances would be very good if I borrowed a million dollars every month. But, someday, the bills will become due. And the bills will come due in this country, and then we'll have to pay for it. We can't afford this war, and we can't afford the entitlement system. Neil Cavuto: Look, Congressman, did you say this 10 years ago, when the numbers were similarly strong... Ron Paul: Go back and check. Neil Cavuto: ...and we were still borrowing a good deal then. Ron Paul: That's right, that means the dollar bubble is much bigger than ever. Neil Cavuto: So what's gonna happen? Ron Paul: We've had the NASDAQ bubble collapse already. We have the housing bubble in the middle of a collapse, so the dollar bubble will collapse as well. We have to live within our means. You can't print money out of the blue, and think you can print your money into prosperity.
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Sir William :
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No other man-made device since the shields and lances of the ancient knights fulfills a man's ego like an automobile.
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Source Unknown :
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Wit is more often a shield than a lance.
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Henry David Thoreau :
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Sometimes we are inclined to class those who are once-and-a-half witted with the half-witted, because we appreciate only a third part of their wit.
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Sir John Robert Seeley :
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We seem, as it were, to have conquered and peopled half the world in a fit of absence of mind.
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Dame Barbara Ward :
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There is no human failure greater than to launch a profoundly important endeavor and then leave it half done. This is what the West has done with its colonial system. It shook all the societies in the world loose from their old moorings. But it seems indifferent whether or not they reach safe harbor in the end.
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William Wordsworth :
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Like an army defeated The snow hath retreated, And now doth fare ill On the top of the bare hill; The Ploughboy is whooping— anon— anon! There's joy in the mountains: There's life in the fountains; Small clouds are sailing, Blue sky prevailing; The rain is over and gone.
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Gloria Estefan Wisdom feed
18
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Gloria Estefan:
"
My mother, my dad and I left Cuba when I was two [January, 1959]. Castro had taken control by then, and life for many ordinary people had become very difficult. My dad had worked [as a personal bodyguard for the wife of Cuban president Batista], so he was a marked man. We moved to Miami, which is about as close to Cuba as you can get without being there. It's a Cuba-centric society. I think a lot of Cubans moved to the US thinking everything would be perfect. Personally, I have to say that those early years were not particularly happy. A lot of people didn't want us around, and I can remember seeing signs that said: "No children. No pets. No Cubans." Things were not made easier by the fact that Dad had begun working for the US government. At the time he couldn't really tell us what he was doing, because it was some sort of top-secret operation. He just said he wanted to fight against what was happening back at home. [Estefan's father was one of the many Cuban exiles taking part in the ill-fated, anti-Castro Bay of Pigs invasion to overthrow dictator Fidel Castro.] One night, Dad disappered. I think he was so worried about telling my mother he was going that he just left her a note. There were rumours something was happening back home, but we didn't really know where Dad had gone. It was a scary time for many Cubans. A lot of men were involved -- lots of families were left without sons and fathers. By the time we found out what my dad had been doing, the attempted coup had taken place, on April 17, 1961. Intitially he'd been training in Central America, but after the coup attempt he was captured and spent the next wo years as a political prisoner in Cuba. That was probably the worst time for my mother and me. Not knowing what was going to happen to Dad. I was only a kid, but I had worked out where my dad was. My mother was trying to keep it a secret, so she used to tell me Dad was on a farm. Of course, I thought that she didn't know what had really happened to him, so I used to keep up the pretence that Dad really was working on a farm. We used to do this whole pretending thing every day, trying to protect each other. Those two years had a terrible effect on my mother. She was very nervous, just going from church to church. Always carrying her rosary beads, praying her little heart out. She had her religion, and I had my music. Music was in our family. My mother was a singer, and on my father's side there was a violinist and a pianist. My grandmother was a poet.
"
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Gloria Estefan:
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Ever since I was a little girl, I felt that I wanted to be of service here on the earth: I felt that was my job somehow. And whatever I was going to do, I was going to find a way to do that. And so, as I got a larger audience -- a broader audience worldwide, and more and more people were listening to me -- it became important for me to share that thought. And the song "Get on Your Feet" -- which I didn't write, it was written actually by my guitar player, bass player and keyboardist . . . They knew how I felt. [They knew] what my thoughts were . . . So although it was written before my accident, it was thrown back at me so many times . . . But that really is my motto. I look always forward. I look ahead. And that's why I chose to record that song, because I really loved the message. Then "Coming Out of the Dark," which came on the heals of that accident and my rehab, and the incredible love that I felt from everyone worldwide that helped me through that difficult moment when I broke my back in 1990, is a big thank you to my fans -- and an expression of how ultimately we are here for each other to help one another. And the strength of prayer . . . That's why I say I know the love that saved me, you're sharing with me. We do have the power to save one another . . . And I wanted to thank everyone for being there for me.
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Gloria Estefan:
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Dad joined the US Army by this point [1964], and initially he was stationed in Texas and then South Carolina. But the Vietnam war brought our normal life to an end. Once again, Dad was gone. Communications were very basic back then: Dad couldn't just pick up a cellphone and let us know he was okay. Months would go by without a letter or anything. Eventually he bought two tape recorders -- one he kept with him and one for our house. Dad used to talk into the recorder and send the tapes home. Then we would gather round our machine and tell Dad stories. And I would sing. I still have all the tapes, but I can't listen to them. It hurts too much. After Dad came back from Nam, he wasn't well. He'd been poisoned by Agent Orange and needed quite a lot of looking after. Mum was busy trying to get her Cuban qualifications revalidated by a US university, so I had to take care of Dad and my little sister [Becky]. It was tough. Toward the end, Dad was too far gone and he didn't really know what was hapening around him. I joined Miami Sound Machine in 1975 and we were getting quite successful, but Dad didn't even know who I was. He had to be moved to the hospital. On my wedding day in 1978 [September 2] I went to visit him, still wearing my wedding dress. That was the last time that he said my name. Dad died in 1980, but he touches my life every day. On my last album [Unwrapped] I did a lot of writing while I was looking at a picture of him in his younger days -- so happy and in the prime of his life. I'm not sure if he sees me, but I can feel him all around me. I hope he knows that I am so very proud of him.
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Gloria Estefan:
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Till I had you I didn't know that I was missing out. Had to grow up and see the world through different shades of doubt. Give me one more chance to dream again. One more chance to feel again through your young heart. If only for one day let me try. I wanna see Christmas through your eyes. I want everything to be the way it used to be. Back to being a child again, thinking the world was mine . . . I see the rain, you see the rainbow hiding in the clouds. Never afraid to let your love show. Won't you show me how. Wanna learn how to believe again. Find the innocence in me again, through your young heart. Help me find a way, help me try. I wanna see Christmas through your eyes. I want everything to be the way it used to be. Back to being a child again, thinking the world was kind. I wanna see Christmas, Christmas through your eyes.
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Gloria Estefan:
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I'm singing the hardest song [the national anthem] you could possibly sing at this hour of the morning [8 a.m.]. [I came from Cuba] when I was sixteen months old, although I didn't become a citizen until I was actually about 9 or 10 years old [1966-67]. I had to leave the country to become a citizen, because we had to go to Canada -- and I'll never forget that trip as long as I live. But it was very important for me then, and for them [new citizens] today, What more special day can you have: July 4th in the American Mecca. It doesn't get better than that for them. Well, I'll tell you this -- and I can base it on my own feelings. The beauty of this country is that you can become a citizen of this wonderful nation, and still keep who you are: your culture, your lifestyle. It's a melting pot that allows you not to melt if you don't want to. And it's a wonderful place. I love this country. I really admire it: its ideals, the freedom, the things it stands for. As an immigrant that came from a country that doesn't have those freedoms and still doesn't have them -- which is Cuba -- it's much more special to me: To be able to live here and to be able to have the life that I do in this country.
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Gloria Estefan:
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I had always thought about a lullaby album. But when Noelle came along, my little Colombian bulldog, she really gave me a plethora of ideas. I remembered when I was little in Texas and I was the only Hispanic in my class. Because the first book was about feelings, how Noelle's weaknesses turned into her strengths. That you have to keep your identity.
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Gloria Estefan:
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It's a dream for any artist to have a catalogue of music that would be considered his greatest hits. For me, as a singer and songwriter, to release a collection of music that spans over two decades of my life and career is especially meaningful. Those songs represtent a life in progress. As it is with any life, people and experiences become a part of one's creations and helped give birth to twenty-four albums. I would like to dedicate this body of work -- especially "Nayib's Song" and "Along Came You" -- to my two beautiful children who inspired those songs and who inspire me on a daily basis, and whom I consider my best works to date. I owe a great deal of gratitude to all of my fans who have ridden this incredible rollercoaster of life with me and who are the reason I have tried to remain true to the gift I have been granted: that of making music. And although it's very difficult to decide what is truly essential, you can be sure that what is in this collection is what you -- the fans across the world -- made into hits. And for that, I will be eternally thankful.
"
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Gloria Estefan:
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Who is Gloria Estefan today? I'm very fulfilled as a woman. I've been able to have a wonderful family life, a fantastic career. I have a lot of good friends around me. My family has been my grounding point, and rooted me deeply to the earth. . . I'm very happy. I've done everything I ever wanted to do. The key to me was -- I told my husband when we were in our 20s -- I'm going to work really hard, so one day I won't have to work so hard. And to me what that was, was having choices. And I do have choices now -- and I have take full advantage of that. It's important for me now to be here for my little girl [Emily, age 12]. My son is full grown -- and I know have quickly that goes. So, I'm balancing being a mother -- which to me is the most important role I have on this earth -- and still being creative, writing -- which is what I love to do. So, I've been able to branch out into not just writing songs like you have heard through the years -- but writing children's books, writing a screenplay. But at my core that's what I am: a writer. And that's what I enjoy doing behind the scenes: writing the songs for albums, recording it. And that's why you have seen me take more of a back seat to being the center of attention, and being out on tour and doing that kind of thing. I've stepped up a lot of my charity work. This year, the five concerts I did were all for charity: different ones and my own foundation. So, that's becoming a bigger and bigger part of my life -- as I wanted it to be. And [I keep] just growing and evolving.
"
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Gloria Estefan:
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Emilio and I like projects to breathe and grow. We started with a concept -- write songs, make demos, then let the guest stars listen to them and then afffect the writing process. For Jose Feliciano, I had written a chorus and a bit of a melody. He started playing the chorus and ad-libbing. I went, "This is the [stuff]! Forget my melody!" Carlos Santana worked just the other way. He wanted me to record a plished take singing first, so his playing could recreate my emotion. I got goose bumps [writing "90 Millas"]. Like in "Esperando," which is addressed to Cubans on the island. Those of us in America, we're like the bogeyman, but I wanted Cubans at home to know: Whatever happened doesn't matter. The future is for us to heal. Adn also: because we're here, we latched onto any part of our culture. Yes and no [this is a political record]. Politics is life, so yes. but it's not specific. Saying that 90 miles haven't divided us sends a message about freedom for Cuba -- and for everyone.
"
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Gloria Estefan:
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Being a mom is my number one job. My son [Nayib, 27] lives in Los Angeles and he has his own company where he works on music and film projects, but he calls me every day. Emily [who is 12] is very athletic; she plays tennis and basketball. I love going to her games. If she needs help with her home work, I'll sit with her. She also is very musical -- she writes poetry and plays the guitar. I always tell both my kids, "Find what makes you happy. The money will come regardless of what you do, and more or less of it is not going to be what makes you happy. Spending hours at something you enjoy will."
"
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Gift it
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=81452&author=Gloria Estefan"e=This+is+an+opening+gift+tht+we+are+making+in+conjunction+with+Blue+Cross+and+Blue+Shield+of+half+a+million+dollars.&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5036%2FGloria+Estefan_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=96678&author=2nd Baron Mancroft Mancroft"e=My+first+car+was+painted+red+down+one+side+and+blue+down+the+other+to+confuse+witnesses+in+case+of+an+accident.&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F14492%2F2nd+Baron+Mancroft+Mancroft_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=3055&author=William Morris Hughes"e=++Without+the+Empire+we+should+be+tossed+like+a+cork+in+the+cross+current+of+world+politics.+It+is+at+once+our+sword+and+our+shield.&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F12%2FWilliam+Morris_Hughes_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=81454&author=Gloria Estefan"e=We+established+%5BThe+Gloria+Estefan+Foundation%5D+in+1993%2C+because+I+was+getting+so+many+pitches+from+charities+that+I+thought+the+best+way+to+maximize+our+charity+dollars+was+to+establish+a+foundation%2C+where+you+can+do+so+many+things.+%5BThe+royalties+from%5D+four+of+my+songs+go+directly+to+my+foundation%2C+and+I+don%27t+have+to+bother+people+for+money.+I+have+been+funding+it+myself+all+these+years%2C+from+diffent+concerts+that+I+do+that+pay+right+to+my+foundation.+It%27s+what+I+love+to+do.+It%27s+something+that+makes+me+very+happy.+.+.+%5BThe+foundation+has+helped%5D+from+small+things+to+large+things.+Every+time+there+has+been+a+natural+disaster%2C+we%2C+thought+the+American+Red+Cross%2C+have+helped.+Not+just+here+%2C+but+in+Nicaragua+and+Honduras.+Obviously%2C+Miami+is+very+close+to+my+heart.%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5036%2FGloria+Estefan_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=103297&author=Ron Paul"e=Neil+Cavuto%3A+Yeah+but%2C+you+can%27t%2C+Congressman%2C+we%27ve+got+a+pretty+good+economy+going+here%2C+right%3F+We%27ve+got+productivity+soaring.+We%27ve+got+retail+sales+that+are+strong.+We%27ve+got+corporate+earnings+that+for%2C+what%2C+the+19th+quarter%2C+are+up+double+digit%3F+We%27ve+got+a+market+chasing+highs%2C+I+mean%2C+this+isn%27t+happening+in+a+vacuum%2C+right%3F%0ARon+Paul%3A+Yeah%2C+that%27s+nice%2C+but+when+you+have+to+borrow%2C+you+know...+My+personal+finances+would+be+very+good+if+I+borrowed+a+million+dollars+every+month.+But%2C+someday%2C+the+bills+will+become+due.+And+the+bills+will+come+due+in+this+country%2C+and+then+we%27ll+have+to+pay+for+it.+We+can%27t+afford+this+war%2C+and+we+can%27t+afford+the+entitlement+system.%0ANeil+Cavuto%3A+Look%2C+Congressman%2C+did+you+say+this+10+years+ago%2C+when+the+numbers+were+similarly+strong...%0ARon+Paul%3A+Go+back+and+check.%0ANeil+Cavuto%3A+...and+we+were+still+borrowing+a+good+deal+then.%0ARon+Paul%3A+That%27s+right%2C+that+means+the+dollar+bubble+is+much+bigger+than+ever.%0ANeil+Cavuto%3A+So+what%27s+gonna+happen%3F%0ARon+Paul%3A+We%27ve+had+the+NASDAQ+bubble+collapse+already.+We+have+the+housing+bubble+in+the+middle+of+a+collapse%2C+so+the+dollar+bubble+will+collapse+as+well.+We+have+to+live+within+our+means.+You+can%27t+print+money+out+of+the+blue%2C+and+think+you+can+print+your+money+into+prosperity.%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F14785%2FRon_Paul_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=23890&author=Sir William"e=++No+other+man-made+device+since+the+shields+and+lances+of+the+ancient+knights+fulfills+a+man%27s+ego+like+an+automobile.&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5488%2FSir_William_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=37603&author=Source Unknown"e=++Wit+is+more+often+a+shield+than+a+lance.&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2Fimages_web%2Fauthor_no_icon.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=37599&author=Henry David Thoreau"e=++Sometimes+we+are+inclined+to+class+those+who+are+once-and-a-half+witted+with+the+half-witted%2C+because+we+appreciate+only+a+third+part+of+their+wit.&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F8209%2FHenry+David+Thoreau_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=3062&author=Sir John Robert Seeley"e=++We+seem%2C+as+it+were%2C+to+have+conquered+and+peopled+half+the+world+in+a+fit+of+absence+of+mind.&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F38%2FSir+John+Robert+Seeley_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=3070&author=Dame Barbara Ward"e=++There+is+no+human+failure+greater+than+to+launch+a+profoundly+important+endeavor+and+then+leave+it+half+done.+This+is+what+the+West+has+done+with+its+colonial+system.+It+shook+all+the+societies+in+the+world+loose+from+their+old+moorings.+But+it+seems+indifferent+whether+or+not+they+reach+safe+harbor+in+the+end.&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F69%2FDame+Barbara_Ward_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=116560&author=William Wordsworth"e=Like+an+army+defeated%0AThe+snow+hath+retreated%2C%0AAnd+now+doth+fare+ill%0AOn+the+top+of+the+bare+hill%3B%0AThe+Ploughboy+is+whooping%E2%80%94+anon%E2%80%94+anon%21%0AThere%27s+joy+in+the+mountains%3A%0AThere%27s+life+in+the+fountains%3B%0ASmall+clouds+are+sailing%2C%0ABlue+sky+prevailing%3B%0AThe+rain+is+over+and+gone.%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2Fimages_web%2Fauthor_no_icon.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=81498&author=Gloria Estefan"e=My+mother%2C+my+dad+and+I+left+Cuba+when+I+was+two+%5BJanuary%2C+1959%5D.+Castro+had+taken+control+by+then%2C+and+life+for+many+ordinary+people+had+become+very+difficult.+My+dad+had+worked+%5Bas+a+personal+bodyguard+for+the+wife+of+Cuban+president+Batista%5D%2C+so+he+was+a+marked+man.+We+moved+to+Miami%2C+which+is+about+as+close+to+Cuba+as+you+can+get+without+being+there.+It%27s+a+Cuba-centric+society.+I+think+a+lot+of+Cubans+moved+to+the+US+thinking+everything+would+be+perfect.+Personally%2C+I+have+to+say+that+those+early+years+were+not+particularly+happy.+A+lot+of+people+didn%27t+want+us+around%2C+and+I+can+remember+seeing+signs+that+said%3A+%22No+children.+No+pets.+No+Cubans.%22+Things+were+not+made+easier+by+the+fact+that+Dad+had+begun+working+for+the+US+government.+At+the+time+he+couldn%27t+really+tell+us+what+he+was+doing%2C+because+it+was+some+sort+of+top-secret+operation.+He+just+said+he+wanted+to+fight+against+what+was+happening+back+at+home.+%5BEstefan%27s+father+was+one+of+the+many+Cuban+exiles+taking+part+in+the+ill-fated%2C+anti-Castro+Bay+of+Pigs+invasion+to+overthrow+dictator+Fidel+Castro.%5D+One+night%2C+Dad+disappered.+I+think+he+was+so+worried+about+telling+my+mother+he+was+going+that+he+just+left+her+a+note.+There+were+rumours+something+was+happening+back+home%2C+but+we+didn%27t+really+know+where+Dad+had+gone.+It+was+a+scary+time+for+many+Cubans.+A+lot+of+men+were+involved+--+lots+of+families+were+left+without+sons+and+fathers.+By+the+time+we+found+out+what+my+dad+had+been+doing%2C+the+attempted+coup+had+taken+place%2C+on+April+17%2C+1961.+Intitially+he%27d+been+training+in+Central+America%2C+but+after+the+coup+attempt+he+was+captured+and+spent+the+next+wo+years+as+a+political+prisoner+in+Cuba.+That+was+probably+the+worst+time+for+my+mother+and+me.+Not+knowing+what+was+going+to+happen+to+Dad.+I+was+only+a+kid%2C+but+I+had+worked+out+where+my+dad+was.+My+mother+was+trying+to+keep+it+a+secret%2C+so+she+used+to+tell+me+Dad+was+on+a+farm.+Of+course%2C+I+thought+that+she+didn%27t+know+what+had+really+happened+to+him%2C+so+I+used+to+keep+up+the+pretence+that+Dad+really+was+working+on+a+farm.+We+used+to+do+this+whole+pretending+thing+every+day%2C+trying+to+protect+each+other.+Those+two+years+had+a+terrible+effect+on+my+mother.+She+was+very+nervous%2C+just+going+from+church+to+church.+Always+carrying+her+rosary+beads%2C+praying+her+little+heart+out.+She+had+her+religion%2C+and+I+had+my+music.+Music+was+in+our+family.+My+mother+was+a+singer%2C+and+on+my+father%27s+side+there+was+a+violinist+and+a+pianist.+My+grandmother+was+a+poet.%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5036%2FGloria+Estefan_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=81409&author=Gloria Estefan"e=Ever+since+I+was+a+little+girl%2C+I+felt+that+I+wanted+to+be+of+service+here+on+the+earth%3A+I+felt+that+was+my+job+somehow.+And+whatever+I+was+going+to+do%2C+I+was+going+to+find+a+way+to+do+that.+And+so%2C+as+I+got+a+larger+audience+--+a+broader+audience+worldwide%2C+and+more+and+more+people+were+listening+to+me+--+it+became+important+for+me+to+share+that+thought.+And+the+song+%22Get+on+Your+Feet%22+--+which+I+didn%27t+write%2C+it+was+written+actually+by+my+guitar+player%2C+bass+player+and+keyboardist+.+.+.+They+knew+how+I+felt.+%5BThey+knew%5D+what+my+thoughts+were+.+.+.+So+although+it+was+written+before+my+accident%2C+it+was+thrown+back+at+me+so+many+times+.+.+.+But+that+really+is+my+motto.+I+look+always+forward.+I+look+ahead.+And+that%27s+why+I+chose+to+record+that+song%2C+because+I+really+loved+the+message.+Then+%22Coming+Out+of+the+Dark%2C%22+which+came+on+the+heals+of+that+accident+and+my+rehab%2C+and+the+incredible+love+that+I+felt+from+everyone+worldwide+that+helped+me+through+that+difficult+moment+when+I+broke+my+back+in+1990%2C+is+a+big+thank+you+to+my+fans+--+and+an+expression+of+how+ultimately+we+are+here+for+each+other+to+help+one+another.+And+the+strength+of+prayer+.+.+.+That%27s+why+I+say+I+know+the+love+that+saved+me%2C+you%27re+sharing+with+me.+We+do+have+the+power+to+save+one+another+.+.+.+And+I+wanted+to+thank+everyone+for+being+there+for+me.%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5036%2FGloria+Estefan_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=81523&author=Gloria Estefan"e=Dad+joined+the+US+Army+by+this+point+%5B1964%5D%2C+and+initially+he+was+stationed+in+Texas+and+then+South+Carolina.+But+the+Vietnam+war+brought+our+normal+life+to+an+end.+Once+again%2C+Dad+was+gone.+Communications+were+very+basic+back+then%3A+Dad+couldn%27t+just+pick+up+a+cellphone+and+let+us+know+he+was+okay.+Months+would+go+by+without+a+letter+or+anything.+Eventually+he+bought+two+tape+recorders+--+one+he+kept+with+him+and+one+for+our+house.+Dad+used+to+talk+into+the+recorder+and+send+the+tapes+home.+Then+we+would+gather+round+our+machine+and+tell+Dad+stories.+And+I+would+sing.+I+still+have+all+the+tapes%2C+but+I+can%27t+listen+to+them.+It+hurts+too+much.+After+Dad+came+back+from+Nam%2C+he+wasn%27t+well.+He%27d+been+poisoned+by+Agent+Orange+and+needed+quite+a+lot+of+looking+after.+Mum+was+busy+trying+to+get+her+Cuban+qualifications+revalidated+by+a+US+university%2C+so+I+had+to+take+care+of+Dad+and+my+little+sister+%5BBecky%5D.+It+was+tough.+Toward+the+end%2C+Dad+was+too+far+gone+and+he+didn%27t+really+know+what+was+hapening+around+him.+I+joined+Miami+Sound+Machine+in+1975+and+we+were+getting+quite+successful%2C+but+Dad+didn%27t+even+know+who+I+was.+He+had+to+be+moved+to+the+hospital.+On+my+wedding+day+in+1978+%5BSeptember+2%5D+I+went+to+visit+him%2C+still+wearing+my+wedding+dress.+That+was+the+last+time+that+he+said+my+name.+Dad+died+in+1980%2C+but+he+touches+my+life+every+day.+On+my+last+album+%5BUnwrapped%5D+I+did+a+lot+of+writing+while+I+was+looking+at+a+picture+of+him+in+his+younger+days+--+so+happy+and+in+the+prime+of+his+life.+I%27m+not+sure+if+he+sees+me%2C+but+I+can+feel+him+all+around+me.+I+hope+he+knows+that+I+am+so+very+proud+of+him.%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5036%2FGloria+Estefan_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=81533&author=Gloria Estefan"e=Till+I+had+you+I+didn%27t+know+that+I+was+missing+out.+Had+to+grow+up+and+see+the+world+through+different+shades+of+doubt.+Give+me+one+more+chance+to+dream+again.+One+more+chance+to+feel+again+through+your+young+heart.+If+only+for+one+day+let+me+try.+I+wanna+see+Christmas+through+your+eyes.+I+want+everything+to+be+the+way+it+used+to+be.+Back+to+being+a+child+again%2C+thinking+the+world+was+mine+.+.+.+I+see+the+rain%2C+you+see+the+rainbow+hiding+in+the+clouds.+Never+afraid+to+let+your+love+show.+Won%27t+you+show+me+how.+Wanna+learn+how+to+believe+again.+Find+the+innocence+in+me+again%2C+through+your+young+heart.+Help+me+find+a+way%2C+help+me+try.+I+wanna+see+Christmas+through+your+eyes.+I+want+everything+to+be+the+way+it+used+to+be.+Back+to+being+a+child+again%2C+thinking+the+world+was+kind.+I+wanna+see+Christmas%2C+Christmas+through+your+eyes.%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5036%2FGloria+Estefan_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=81411&author=Gloria Estefan"e=I%27m+singing+the+hardest+song+%5Bthe+national+anthem%5D+you+could+possibly+sing+at+this+hour+of+the+morning+%5B8+a.m.%5D.+%5BI+came+from+Cuba%5D+when+I+was+sixteen+months+old%2C+although+I+didn%27t+become+a+citizen+until+I+was+actually+about+9+or+10+years+old+%5B1966-67%5D.+I+had+to+leave+the+country+to+become+a+citizen%2C+because+we+had+to+go+to+Canada+--+and+I%27ll+never+forget+that+trip+as+long+as+I+live.+But+it+was+very+important+for+me+then%2C+and+for+them+%5Bnew+citizens%5D+today%2C+What+more+special+day+can+you+have%3A+July+4th+in+the+American+Mecca.+It+doesn%27t+get+better+than+that+for+them.+Well%2C+I%27ll+tell+you+this+--+and+I+can+base+it+on+my+own+feelings.+The+beauty+of+this+country+is+that+you+can+become+a+citizen+of+this+wonderful+nation%2C+and+still+keep+who+you+are%3A+your+culture%2C+your+lifestyle.+It%27s+a+melting+pot+that+allows+you+not+to+melt+if+you+don%27t+want+to.+And+it%27s+a+wonderful+place.+I+love+this+country.+I+really+admire+it%3A+its+ideals%2C+the+freedom%2C+the+things+it+stands+for.+As+an+immigrant+that+came+from+a+country+that+doesn%27t+have+those+freedoms+and+still+doesn%27t+have+them+--+which+is+Cuba+--+it%27s+much+more+special+to+me%3A+To+be+able+to+live+here+and+to+be+able+to+have+the+life+that+I+do+in+this+country.%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5036%2FGloria+Estefan_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=81488&author=Gloria Estefan"e=I+had+always+thought+about+a+lullaby+album.+But+when+Noelle+came+along%2C+my+little+Colombian+bulldog%2C+she+really+gave+me+a+plethora+of+ideas.+I+remembered+when+I+was+little+in+Texas+and+I+was+the+only+Hispanic+in+my+class.+Because+the+first+book+was+about+feelings%2C+how+Noelle%27s+weaknesses+turned+into+her+strengths.+That+you+have+to+keep+your+identity.%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5036%2FGloria+Estefan_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=81474&author=Gloria Estefan"e=It%27s+a+dream+for+any+artist+to+have+a+catalogue+of+music+that+would+be+considered+his+greatest+hits.+For+me%2C+as+a+singer+and+songwriter%2C+to+release+a+collection+of+music+that+spans+over+two+decades+of+my+life+and+career+is+especially+meaningful.+Those+songs+represtent+a+life+in+progress.+As+it+is+with+any+life%2C+people+and+experiences+become+a+part+of+one%27s+creations+and+helped+give+birth+to+twenty-four+albums.+I+would+like+to+dedicate+this+body+of+work+--+especially+%22Nayib%27s+Song%22+and+%22Along+Came+You%22+--+to+my+two+beautiful+children+who+inspired+those+songs+and+who+inspire+me+on+a+daily+basis%2C+and+whom+I+consider+my+best+works+to+date.+I+owe+a+great+deal+of+gratitude+to+all+of+my+fans+who+have+ridden+this+incredible+rollercoaster+of+life+with+me+and+who+are+the+reason+I+have+tried+to+remain+true+to+the+gift+I+have+been+granted%3A+that+of+making+music.+And+although+it%27s+very+difficult+to+decide+what+is+truly+essential%2C+you+can+be+sure+that+what+is+in+this+collection+is+what+you+--+the+fans+across+the+world+--+made+into+hits.+And+for+that%2C+I+will+be+eternally+thankful.%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5036%2FGloria+Estefan_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=81408&author=Gloria Estefan"e=Who+is+Gloria+Estefan+today%3F+I%27m+very+fulfilled+as+a+woman.+I%27ve+been+able+to+have+a+wonderful+family+life%2C+a+fantastic+career.+I+have+a+lot+of+good+friends+around+me.+My+family+has+been+my+grounding+point%2C+and+rooted+me+deeply+to+the+earth.+.+.+I%27m+very+happy.+I%27ve+done+everything+I+ever+wanted+to+do.+The+key+to+me+was+--+I+told+my+husband+when+we+were+in+our+20s+--+I%27m+going+to+work+really+hard%2C+so+one+day+I+won%27t+have+to+work+so+hard.+And+to+me+what+that+was%2C+was+having+choices.+And+I+do+have+choices+now+--+and+I+have+take+full+advantage+of+that.+It%27s+important+for+me+now+to+be+here+for+my+little+girl+%5BEmily%2C+age+12%5D.+My+son+is+full+grown+--+and+I+know+have+quickly+that+goes.+So%2C+I%27m+balancing+being+a+mother+--+which+to+me+is+the+most+important+role+I+have+on+this+earth+--+and+still+being+creative%2C+writing+--+which+is+what+I+love+to+do.+So%2C+I%27ve+been+able+to+branch+out+into+not+just+writing+songs+like+you+have+heard+through+the+years+--+but+writing+children%27s+books%2C+writing+a+screenplay.+But+at+my+core+that%27s+what+I+am%3A+a+writer.+And+that%27s+what+I+enjoy+doing+behind+the+scenes%3A+writing+the+songs+for+albums%2C+recording+it.+And+that%27s+why+you+have+seen+me+take+more+of+a+back+seat+to+being+the+center+of+attention%2C+and+being+out+on+tour+and+doing+that+kind+of+thing.+I%27ve+stepped+up+a+lot+of+my+charity+work.+This+year%2C+the+five+concerts+I+did+were+all+for+charity%3A+different+ones+and+my+own+foundation.+So%2C+that%27s+becoming+a+bigger+and+bigger+part+of+my+life+--+as+I+wanted+it+to+be.+And+%5BI+keep%5D+just+growing+and+evolving.%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5036%2FGloria+Estefan_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=81416&author=Gloria Estefan"e=Emilio+and+I+like+projects+to+breathe+and+grow.+We+started+with+a+concept+--+write+songs%2C+make+demos%2C+then+let+the+guest+stars+listen+to+them+and+then+afffect+the+writing+process.+For+Jose+Feliciano%2C+I+had+written+a+chorus+and+a+bit+of+a+melody.+He+started+playing+the+chorus+and+ad-libbing.+I+went%2C+%22This+is+the+%5Bstuff%5D%21+Forget+my+melody%21%22+Carlos+Santana+worked+just+the+other+way.+He+wanted+me+to+record+a+plished+take+singing+first%2C+so+his+playing+could+recreate+my+emotion.+I+got+goose+bumps+%5Bwriting+%2290+Millas%22%5D.+Like+in+%22Esperando%2C%22+which+is+addressed+to+Cubans+on+the+island.+Those+of+us+in+America%2C+we%27re+like+the+bogeyman%2C+but+I+wanted+Cubans+at+home+to+know%3A+Whatever+happened+doesn%27t+matter.+The+future+is+for+us+to+heal.+Adn+also%3A+because+we%27re+here%2C+we+latched+onto+any+part+of+our+culture.+Yes+and+no+%5Bthis+is+a+political+record%5D.+Politics+is+life%2C+so+yes.+but+it%27s+not+specific.+Saying+that+90+miles+haven%27t+divided+us+sends+a+message+about+freedom+for+Cuba+--+and+for+everyone.%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5036%2FGloria+Estefan_64x64.png){kind=link}
![Powerpoint](http://www.iwise.com/downloadPPT.php?quote_id=81471&author=Gloria Estefan"e=Being+a+mom+is+my+number+one+job.+My+son+%5BNayib%2C+27%5D+lives+in+Los+Angeles+and+he+has+his+own+company+where+he+works+on+music+and+film+projects%2C+but+he+calls+me+every+day.+Emily+%5Bwho+is+12%5D+is+very+athletic%3B+she+plays+tennis+and+basketball.+I+love+going+to+her+games.+If+she+needs+help+with+her+home+work%2C+I%27ll+sit+with+her.+She+also+is+very+musical+--+she+writes+poetry+and+plays+the+guitar.+I+always+tell+both+my+kids%2C+%22Find+what+makes+you+happy.+The+money+will+come+regardless+of+what+you+do%2C+and+more+or+less+of+it+is+not+going+to+be+what+makes+you+happy.+Spending+hours+at+something+you+enjoy+will.%22%0A&image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.iwise.com%2FauthorIcons%2F5036%2FGloria+Estefan_64x64.png){kind=link}