Avô Joaquim, One Year Later

Today marks one year since my grandfather, Joaquim Valverde, passed away at age 90. I didn't grow up with him - he lived in Canada while I grew up in Portugal, but for nearly eight years, we shared a home. He became my roommate (or maybe I became his), and I got to know his stories, his tough childhood, his love for farming and cooking, and his sharp, honest way of speaking.

I miss his laugh, his old Portuguese sayings, and our summer afternoons in the backyard talking and appreciating the fruits of his labour in his mini farm in the backyard.

The Portuguese call this feeling saudade. A deep, aching kind of missing. It reminds me of something I read about the Law of Death Denial recently. We avoid thinking about death, and in doing so, we forget to live fully. Losing him reminds me that life is short, and there's no time to waste on fear, hesitation, or holding back. I miss you, avô. I hope you're proud of all of us.