We all have different ideas about the meaning of strength. A quick glance at my grandmother, and “strength” may not be the first thing that comes to mind. To me though, she is an incredible human being who continues to impress me with her ability to persevere. While she has experienced more than her fair share of hardship, she continues to keep a bright, shining light within her. I am here to share The Story of Leo.
Leocadia Maria Marques is my avó (Portuguese for grandma). She was born in August of 1946 on the small Azores island of São Jorge, which was her home for the first 23 years of her life. She was raised on that island. She met her husband, my avô, on that island. She got married on that island. She gave birth to two of her four children on that island. As I mentioned, it was her home and she loved it there.
When I have asked her what it was like growing up on the island, she has told me that she loved playing outside and “getting into mischief”. Okay, how cute is that?!
If you’ve read the story behind the LEO & MAUDE name, you know that an impactful moment in The Story of Leo was when my avó, Leocadia, immigrated to the United States with her family from São Jorge. It was then that she overcame adversity as she settled in a new country. Along with her husband and two young children, she packed up her life in December of the year 1969 and crossed the Atlantic Ocean and the United States, ultimately ending up in California.
My avô decided to bring his family to America because he wanted a better life for them. He wanted to provide more for them, and knew that there would be more opportunities and more money in America.
At the ages of 33 and 23 my avô and avó arrived in the United States and quickly realized that they were in a land far different from the one they had left. Did I mention that she was also pregnant (with my mama) when she made that journey?! My avó has described to me that in São Jorge there were no running toilets when she lived there and she remembers having to take bathes in a bucket of water. In fact, when she left São Jorge there also were not any refrigerators or cars on the entire island. Their main form of transportation was (wait for it…) donkeys and horses!
In talking with her, I know that she enjoys visiting the island, but she does not miss anything there more than what she has here in the United States. She fiercely loves her family, and I know she wouldn’t want to be anywhere in the world without all of us.
All that I am, or ever hope to be, I owe to my mom.
The Story of Leo has not always been picturesque. While there is no need to divulge the details of the hardships of the past, I will say that I have always found my avó’s unique sense of strength to be inspiring. She has provided an incredible amount of lessons throughout my life, and I will forever be grateful for every single memory that I have with her. From childhood fishing trips to Pescadero where we would sleep in an RV on the side of the road, to baking sweet bread and watching Telenovelas at her house, and of course dancing with her at my wedding.
Now, speaking of sweet bread, who else has a grandma who is a wizard in the kitchen? My avó’s cooking and baking is one way that she has continued to keep her Portuguese heritage alive within our family. One mention of any traditional dish, and a flood of memories rushes within each of us. Along with her food, she continues to speak Portuguese to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. With every word she speaks and memory she shares, the importance of her culture becomes even more unmistakable.
Ultimately, I can think of only a handful of women who are worthy of serving as inspiration for the name of this blog, and my avó is a leader of that pack. She traveled to a new country, speaking not a word of the language, and helped create a beautiful life for the generations that followed her. She looked loss and sadness in the eyes and remained strong despite its persistence.
My avó is a warrior, and I know that I am lucky for all the years I have had to witness her beauty. The beauty within her smile, her calm and the fierce love she has for her family. My avó is strong and I feel that strength within myself. The Story of Leo is what brought me to this moment.
xoA
Over To You
So, there it is. That’s the nuts and bolts of The Story of Leo! I would love to hear any stories that you all would be willing to share about the inspirational women in your life. If, like me, you have a grandmother who inspires you, share your favorite memory with us in the comments below. If you are your own inspiration, let us hear that too!
4 thoughts on “The Story of Leo”
I had such a similar upbringing with Leo’s sister Victoria! They are basically the same person haha! We can only hope to be half as strong and resilient as these amazing ladies!!!! Its so amazing that you honor her with your blog!!! ❤️ Great job ladies!!
Thank you for these special words, Vicki! So true, their strength and resilience is absolutely inspirational. xoA
Your grama is the best!❤️
She truly is! xoA