16/06/2026
My grandmother, my Vovó, passed away on April 13th, and if I’m being honest, my heart still hasn’t accepted it.
She was the most extraordinary woman I’ve ever known. Graceful, kind, funny, fiercely loving, and somehow always able to sense when something wasn’t right. No matter how far apart we lived, we shared a bond that distance never touched.
She taught me what it means to be a good person. To be kind, even when it’s difficult. To find humor in life. To love deeply and without conditions.
Every time I came home, she would have my favorite meal waiting for me: peas with chouriço and egg, a simple Azorean dish that she knew I loved. It didn’t matter how old I was. She always made it, and she took so much joy in watching me eat it.
Every time I told her, “I love you, Vovó,” she’d answer, “I love you more.”
One of the greatest gifts she left me is the collection of voicemails I’ve saved over the years. I still listen to them. Hearing her voice always makes me smile, and for a moment, it feels like she’s still here with me.
I will always be grateful for the honor of caring for her one last time. I got to style her hair, do her makeup, paint her nails, and send her off wearing a pair of my gold hoops—just like the ones she wore throughout her life. It was one of the most difficult and meaningful moments I’ve ever experienced.
All that I am today is because of her, her example, and the values she lived by every day.
I loved her endlessly. I never wanted this day to come.
I love you, Vovó. More.
Forever.
