Ayla Eloy, a Brazilian American actress, singer, and mom to an Australian Shepherd named Theo, deftly illustrates saudade – a Portuguese word that could be described as the meeting point between bitter and sweet. Saudade is often explored in Brazilian music, literature, and art; Ayla invites you to pair the song Chega de Saudade with the rest of your reading. Ayla tells us,
“Saudade is the feeling of missing someone or something. It's the yearning and longing for something that isn't here any more. Saudade encompasses so much of what it means to be human, to have feelings. To have saudade of something means to have had special moments, people or things in your life.”
She continues, “we Brazilians always make sure to tell someone if we feel saudade or if we miss them. Life is too short not to tell the ones we love that we miss and think about them often.”
A word deeply ingrained in Brazilian and Portuguese cultures, saudade evokes an emotion to which we can all relate, a universal feeling that, for some, may be felt more strongly now than ever before. But don’t overlook the accompanying comfort – saudade allows you to hold close to the person, place, or thing you yearn for despite its absence, a treasured melancholic sweetness. For some, the depths of longing may be deeper than ever before, the contrast between sadness and joy increased, each serving to enhance the other like salty and sweet.
This article is part of the DIMMI Digest: Connection. Since the beginning of time, language has been used to bring people together. In fact, according to linguists, no other natural communication system is like human language. Not only can the human language be used to convey information, express a feeling, or set boundaries, but it is also used to build connections - no matter how short the interaction may be. Whether it’s a quick glance at a stranger across the train tracks, or the exchange of pleasantries over your morning coffee, language has the ability to create connections that withstand the test of time.
