Irenay Stevens

Saudade Irenay Stevens

Have you ever felt at a loss for words? Like there wasn't a word invented for the situation or emotion you were experiencing? That was exactly how I felt. After you were gone there was nothing I could say to express the way I felt.
Empty? Broken? Hollow? None of those words began to describe what was going on inside my heart. People say all wounds heal with time. That was not my experience, as time passed the longing for you became more intense. I was sure something was wrong with me. How could I love you when you were not even there? When I wasn't even sure of your existence?
I stumbled on a word that I never heard of before. It was a silly article that popped up while I was doing research online.
Saudade: The Untranslatable Word Everyone Sings About. I was intrigued by this and as a teacher of a language wanted to know more. It turned out it is a Portuguese word that is defined as a melancholy nostalgia. There are many different definitions for this word - there was one that I thought was most appropriate. The love that remains.