The house in Braga, Portugal, was quiet when Miranda walked in. At 14, Miranda was nervous  and unsure of what her grandfather would be like. Then, she saw him for the first time. He looked older than she expected, but that didn’t matter. They stepped forward, and in a single hug, all the waiting ended. It was the start of a memory she would never forget.

This meeting was not just another family visit. Miranda had never known much about her father’s side of the family. Going to Portugal, visiting her dad’s childhood home, and finally meeting her grandfather gave her a  stronger connection to her roots. What began with sadness over her grandmother’s funeral became a powerful moment for her family. 

“My dad didn’t want to waste more time without us meeting our grandfather, so he took us right away so that we were able to meet him and be able to go to the funeral of my grandmother” [02:09] Miranda said. Both of her parents came along, as well as her sister and little brother. Together, they made the trip to Braga. Still, Miranda had fears before the reunion. “I was a little bit nervous because I didn’t know how he was going to react, and I was scared we weren’t going to be able to talk because he speaks Portuguese, and I don’t” [00:47] She explained. Her worry was real, but it disappeared when they hugged. “I remember when we got to see each other for the first time and we hugged” [02:32], she said. That hug became the strongest memory of the trip.

Miranda admitted her first thought was how old he looked. But she felt very happy because she always wanted to meet her grandfather. She also felt sadness because she wished she could speak with him more easily in Spanish or Portuguese. Saying goodbye was difficult. “I felt like I was probably not going to see him again for a very long time, but I felt good because I know he liked seeing me” [03:13]. Even though leaving was hard, she carried that comfort with her.

The visit changed what Miranda thought about her family. She explained that before, she didn’t know much about her dad’s past. But meeting her grandfather and seeing her dad’s childhood home made her feel closer to her roots. If she could relive the day, she said she would have learned Portuguese first to talk with him more.

What began with nervousness ended with joy. For Miranda, the hug remains her strongest memory, the warmth, the closeness, and the special moment of meeting her grandfather for the very first time.