Maria Vlahadamis

5 Responses

1. To my Yiayia,

   There are no words that could ever truly describe what you meant to me.

   You weren’t just my yiayia. You were my best friend, my role model, and one of the most important people I will ever have in my life.

   The thing I will always remember most about you was your humility. You never wanted anyone to worry about you. You never wanted anyone to feel sorry for you. Even when you were hurting, upset, or struggling, you carried it quietly. If you needed help, you would never ask for it unless you absolutely had to. In fact, most of the time we had to force it out of you.

   I remember watching you walk down the large steps at our house. You never wanted me to stand there and make sure you were okay because you didn’t want to interrupt what I was doing or make me worry. So I would sneakily watch from a distance anyway, just to make sure my yiayia got down safely.

   That was you. Always thinking about everyone else before yourself.

   You never sat still. If you weren’t looking after someone, you were gardening, cleaning, cooking, driving somewhere, or finding something productive to do. Even on the day of your accident, you had driven yourself to church that morning. You left this world the same way you lived in it, standing on your own two feet, independent, strong, and determined.

   Looking back now, I almost think that’s exactly how you would have wanted it. You never wanted us to watch you suffer. You never wanted to be a burden. You fought your battle quietly, with dignity and strength, right until the very end.

   The love you had for our family was enormous. Especially for Mary and me.

   Some of my favourite memories are when you would pick us up from primary school and take us to get KFC Snack Boxes. We’d laugh all the way home, and your old car would always smell like chicken nuggets. At the time they seemed like small moments, but now I realise they were some of the most special memories of my childhood.

   You made ordinary days feel special.

   You always worried about whether our hands and feet were warm. You would constantly tell us to put socks on and make sure we didn’t get cold. The funny thing was, you were never cold yourself. Your hands were always warm. Even right until your final days, your hands carried that same warmth that made everyone around you feel safe and loved.

   You never put yourself first. Not once.

   You were the softest sleeper I’ve ever known, and even when the family was loud, you would never complain. You never yelled. You never demanded attention. You simply loved people. Selflessly. Unconditionally.

   People often say their yiayia was the best. And I understand why. But if you truly knew my yiayia, you would know there was something special about her. Something rare.

   She had a warmth that filled every room she entered.

   She had a kindness that asked for nothing in return.

   She had a strength that never needed to be announced.

   And she had a love that will stay with all of us forever.

   Yiayia, I want you to know that I will think about you every day for the rest of my life. I will speak to you every night. I will tell stories about you to the people I love. I will carry your lessons with me, and I will try every day to live with the same kindness, humility, selflessness, and strength that you showed all of us.

   You taught me how to care for people.

   You taught me how to stay humble.

   You taught me what unconditional love looks like.

   And for that, I will be grateful forever.

   You were truly one of a kind.

   A warrior in every sense of the word.

   A proud Spartan woman whose strength wasn’t measured by how loud she was, but by how much love she gave.

   I love you, Yiayia.

   Forever and always.

   Until we meet again.

   Reply

   1. Beautiful 😍

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   2. Beautiful moments of love forever in your heart, mind and soul. Dear Andre your yiayia, and her love, will always be with you every step you take.
      🙏 🙏 🙏

      Reply

2. This was so beautiful!!

   Thank you for sharing these, heart felt and loving, memories. They brought back every memory I had of her and reminded me of her love and the love I have for her.

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3. Dear Angela and Nick,

   I was deeply saddened to hear about the sudden passing of your mother, Maria. Please accept my heartfelt condolences.

   Since 2018, I had the privilege of servicing Maria’s Toyota Yaris once a year. Although it was only once a year, I always looked forward to seeing her. I never asked her age, but I always thought she was such a strong and energetic lady, still driving her car with confidence.

   Her car was always kept very clean and well looked after, and it made me feel that she was still driving carefully and independently. When I spoke with you both a few weeks ago, I asked about Maria because I was thinking of her, and I was happy to hear that she was still well and still driving.

   Because of that, this sudden news is very hard to believe. I truly wished that YiaYia Maria could have stayed healthy and with you for many more years.

   I can only imagine how sudden and difficult this must be for you, Nick,Angela Andrew, Mary, and your family. Please know that my thoughts are with you all during this very sad time.

   With deepest sympathy,

   Jun Kamikura

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