Saudade

sau·da·de

/souˈdädə/

a nostalgic longing for something or someone that was loved and then lost, with the knowledge that it or they might never return; "the love that remains".

In the silent corners of my being, where memories weave their stories, there's a word that holds more feelings than its letters can show. Saudade, a Portuguese term, has no perfect match in English language, but it carries a heaviness that speaks to the yearning for moments that once filled our lives with light and now exist as just echoes in our souls.

As I write these words, I wander through the landscapes of my own saudade, each step carrying the sweet and bitter memories of days gone by. It's a wishful longing, a gentle pull at the heartstrings, bringing back images of a time when laughter filled the air and love ruled our world without question. Picture the smell of old books, worn and weathered, each page telling tales of adventures shared with cherished souls. There's a magic in those yellowed pages, a doorway to a time when everything seemed to stand still. In those moments, saudade finds a place, a constant companion as we journey through the memories.

The faces of loved ones smile at me from sepia-toned frames that decorate the walls of my heart. The sound of their laughter, the warmth of their hugs – saudade guards these treasures, ensuring they're never truly lost, even as time marches on. Nostalgia, gentle as an evening breeze, washes over me like a soft hug. I close my eyes, and suddenly, I'm in a summer evening, the sun setting in shades of gold and red, casting a warm glow over a world that seemed full of endless possibilities. Back then, I didn't know the word saudade, but its spirit was already finding its way into my soul.

They say saudade isn't just about what's lost but also a bout understanding that some things may never come back. It's recognizing the temporary nature of our lives. Yet, in this understanding, there's a strange comfort – the love that remains. In the threads of saudade, we discover a truth: even in absence, love endures, and in the yearning, we connect to the moments that shaped us. So here I am, embracing saudade like an old friend, acknowledging its presence as proof of a life well-lived, a love well-shared. In the quiet spaces between these lines, saudade finds a home, and in the whispers of these words, the love that remains echoes through time, an everlasting melody that goes beyond the limits of nostalgia.

Written by Emmanuel Martinez