Saudade: The Portuguese Word for the Deep Longing for a Loved One
On loss, mourning, and love
I haven't been around much lately. I was far away. I was emotionally and psychologically further removed than I had ever been, if not physically. It's hard even to write this. My mother, who was the top of loving and caring people for my life, my closest one, passed away. I still find it hard to believe, but it happened. The day I'd been mentally putting off for years has finally arrived. My mom has passed away.
I’m sad. I'm incredibly sad. It was impossible for a while to pick up a pen or a keyboard but I sought refuge in writing as usual at the end. I'm here and writing, so I’m living.
The word I picked today is quite pertinent to the subject. Saudade.
Saudade is a Portuguese word which has been on my list of words to write for some time, but for some reason I put it off. It appears to have been waiting for today.
A strong, melancholy yearning for a loved one is referred to as saudade. You can see why I picked that; it goes with how I'm feeling right now.
The loss of loved ones makes me feel as if we are caught in a spider's web and can never escape. I feel trapped, like I am living in a nightmare. The only thing we can never escape from is the harsh reality of death. Although the person we lost may have gone to a much better place than here, the fact that we can no longer see her or talk to her hits us like a wall. Moreover, not knowing what kind of place she is in now increases our pain.
The best course of action for me in such desperate situations is to pay closer attention to my surroundings. We understand we are not alone when we first notice that many around us also go through similar circumstances. Perhaps even more crucially, we notice more loving eyes than ever before. I've never given out so many hugs in my life, and we've never sobbed so hard together while remembering all the loved ones we lost.
Portuguese Fado music, in my opinion, have a lot in common with saudade. Fado is a musical style with depressing, profound, and stunning melodies.
It is necessary to properly live mourning periods by honoring them as we would live joyful moments. Art also gives us the support we need at such times.
I hope the days when we feel saudade may be less than joyful days. Take care of yourselves and your loved ones.
Kiss at least one person today!