valentina🌷

my grandma is 85. she is a pillar of her community in Lujan de Cuyo, a small town in Argentina where I was born. today, she got diagnosed with dementia. up until 4 months ago, she would cook fresh meals every single day, walk at least 10,000 steps at 6AM, and do pilates 3x a week. she took care of herself at the highest standard and took care of others just as intentionally. she is the wise matron of the family that has held us all together. she is the living definition of discipline and strength and warmth which is what I admired the most in her. my grandma would knit and bake and sell what she made to make ends meet when my grandpa abandoned her with 2 kids. when I came along she used to take me on long walks and share songs with me. she taught me her empanadas de carne recipe when I started living alone and cooking for myself. through her lifestyle and her choices she taught me that there is no excuse, and there are no shortcuts. you can be 85 and take care of yourself like you’re 25. and you can do all of that on top of raising children, being a sounding board for others, and holding the entire family together. i can’t believe how fast her dementia has progressed. i am genuinely stunned. having my grandma change so suddenly from the superwoman that she’s been my entire life is a new type of pain that i did not emotionally prepare for. life is precious, our mind is precious. i’m lucky to have had 27 years with the most wonderful present version of my grandma.

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