NEVER GIVE UP ON LIFE

“I was born in S. Miguel 74 years ago and grew up happy.

My parents started a small business that has since grown and now employs over 100 people. To supplement the family income, my mother made liqueurs that my father sold. We, the three children, helped out, especially in the preparation of passion fruit liqueur, which is the most popular.

There were days when my two brothers and I, still children, had to prepare seven thousand fruits. To distract us, my mother told us stories. On weekends, we would go to the movies or take walks.

I got married and had five children. The third, Pedro, suffered from severe meningitis in the first days of his life. We did everything we could to give him the best possible life, as he became dependent and never walked.

At home, I made thousands of conventional sweets, which I supplied to stores and individuals, with the help of my children. It was hard work and a big responsibility, which I had to balance with family life, especially caring for Pedro.

When we heard about an association created in S. Miguel to support people with this type of condition, we turned to it for help with Pedro’s well-being, and he started attending during the day. At that time, I joined the association’s board, and three areas of activity were created. We currently support 80 people, but none of them is Pedro because, at the age of 41, he is no longer with us. Despite this, I remain on the board.

I was invited by Social Security to a national meeting of mothers of children with disabilities at the Belém Palace, sponsored by the then first lady, Maria Cavaco Silva. I attended the event, called “Mãe Coragem” (Mother Courage), representing Azorean mothers. From this sharing of experiences, the need to create more adapted residences was highlighted.

Pedro’s departure was followed by two others: a 16-year-old grandson and, more recently, my husband.

Despite the heartache, I lead a very active life, which helps me. I am the president of the volunteers at a private clinic, I collaborate in religious services, and I attend cultural events. But I find happiness in the family members who have not left me—my mother, children, and grandchildren—and in the inner peace that dwells within me.”

MC

https://www.facebook.com/nosnosoutros

Welcome to Stories from the Azores: Lives Between Oceans, a living archive of voices shaped by insularity, the sea, and survival. These stories honor men and women who left, returned, or remained, carrying with them the courage to face uncertainty and the resilience to endure hardship. Each tale is rooted in the volcanic soil of the Azores, where identity is forged in wind and salt, and yet reaches beyond the islands, across oceans and generations. Together, they form a mosaic of endurance and belonging, reminding us that to live between oceans is to embody strength, stubbornness, and hope. We thank the Nós nos Outros project for allowing us to share these stories with the Azorean Diaspora and the American and Canadian communities.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.