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José Antonio is proud of his Portuguese grandparents, who left him a legacy of honesty, hard work, ethics, struggle, perseverance, and wisdom. This legacy had a profound impact on his upbringing, growing up listening to their advice, stories, and phrases inspired by their life experiences.
José Antonio is proud of his Portuguese grandparents, who left him a legacy of honesty, hard work, ethics, struggle, perseverance, and wisdom. This legacy had a profound impact on his upbringing, growing up listening to their advice, stories, and phrases inspired by their life experiences.
In their honor, he wrote a book reflecting the lessons learned during his childhood and adolescence, titled "As My Portuguese Grandfather Used to Say - Reinvent Yourself in Personal and Professional Life."
In their honor, he wrote a book reflecting the lessons learned during his childhood and adolescence, titled "As My Portuguese Grandfather Used to Say - Reinvent Yourself in Personal and Professional Life."
My paternal grandparents. Grandmother Maria, Grandfather José Antonio, and children Elvira and Manoel.
1 - My paternal grandparents, José António and Grandmother Maria
1 - My paternal grandparents, José António and Grandmother Maria
My grandmother passed away before I was born. Her photo on the wall of my grandfather's house has accompanied me to this day, as if I had lived with her all my life.
My grandmother passed away before I was born. Her photo on the wall of my grandfather's house has accompanied me to this day, as if I had lived with her all my life.
My grandfather brought from Portugal a love for literature, culture, and knowledge of the world. He was a soldier in Portugal and became a farmer in Brazil. He was respectful to his partners, sharecroppers, caretakers, and neighbors. He loved Portugal and Figueiró dos Vinhos, a parish in the district of Leiria, in the Beira Litoral province.
My grandfather brought from Portugal a love for literature, culture, and knowledge of the world. He was a soldier in Portugal and became a farmer in Brazil. He was respectful to his partners, sharecroppers, caretakers, and neighbors. He loved Portugal and Figueiró dos Vinhos, a parish in the district of Leiria, in the Beira Litoral province.
With him, I learned about the land, cultivation, taking care of animals, respecting time and weather, and having patience to see the garden grow. In front of the house, he maintained a vine that provided grapes throughout the year, and the prunings were given to friends. It seemed like he talked to it every day to ease his longing for the land overseas and my grandmother Maria.
With him, I learned about the land, cultivation, taking care of animals, respecting time and weather, and having patience to see the garden grow. In front of the house, he maintained a vine that provided grapes throughout the year, and the prunings were given to friends. It seemed like he talked to it every day to ease his longing for the land overseas and my grandmother Maria.
His stories of Portugal were told at night on the porch of the house, smoking straw cigarettes, looking at the starry sky of the Milky Way that gently bathed our farm in light.
His stories of Portugal were told at night on the porch of the house, smoking straw cigarettes, looking at the starry sky of the Milky Way that gently bathed our farm in light.
I remember his calm walk along the trails of the farm. It was a ritual for thinking, for his relationship with nature. On the other hand, as a young man, I loved to run along the trails to take something to the neighbors, the Rodrigues, the Morgados, and the Silvas.
I remember his calm walk along the trails of the farm. It was a ritual for thinking, for his relationship with nature. On the other hand, as a young man, I loved to run along the trails to take something to the neighbors, the Rodrigues, the Morgados, and the Silvas.
The farm where we lived was 7 km from the city of Duartina-SP. We could see the sunrise and sunset, follow the phases of the moon, the stunning Milky Way in the winter months, meteor showers, and the abundant rain that bathed the crops, pastures, and animals.
The farm where we lived was 7 km from the city of Duartina-SP. We could see the sunrise and sunset, follow the phases of the moon, the stunning Milky Way in the winter months, meteor showers, and the abundant rain that bathed the crops, pastures, and animals.
My grandfather José Antonio in the center and his brothers Augusto and Seraphim.
2 - Learning from my paternal grandfather
2 - Learning from my paternal grandfather
My grandfather was cultured, educated, and kind. He was a fan of Eça de Queirós and, besides the personal books he had brought from Portugal, subscribed to the magazines Reader's Digest and Life, published in Portuguese.
He encouraged me in cultural pursuits, and almost always sitting on the wooden floor of his house, I used to read Portuguese books and magazine articles. In them, I learned stories of overcoming and about Portuguese authors and their importance to literature. In this universe, I thought that one day I might try to write something, maybe a book.
My grandfather was cultured, educated, and kind. He was a fan of Eça de Queirós and, besides the personal books he had brought from Portugal, subscribed to the magazines Reader's Digest and Life, published in Portuguese.
He encouraged me in cultural pursuits, and almost always sitting on the wooden floor of his house, I used to read Portuguese books and magazine articles. In them, I learned stories of overcoming and about Portuguese authors and their importance to literature. In this universe, I thought that one day I might try to write something, maybe a book.
My sisters and I were born on his farm, where we lived for many years. We had the presence of childhood friends, cousins, uncles, aunts, sharecroppers, caretakers, visitors, neighbors, and farmers from the region. Next to the vine, there was a huge cedar tree with a steel cable swing, two mango trees that provided shade to the bocce field, and a tall coconut tree that attracted birds of all kinds.
My sisters and I were born on his farm, where we lived for many years. We had the presence of childhood friends, cousins, uncles, aunts, sharecroppers, caretakers, visitors, neighbors, and farmers from the region. Next to the vine, there was a huge cedar tree with a steel cable swing, two mango trees that provided shade to the bocce field, and a tall coconut tree that attracted birds of all kinds.
Hunts, bocce games, horseback riding, swings on the cedar tree, football, fetching water, helping with house cleaning, preparing for June festivals, and hard work compensated for the learning. In front of the house, there was a large lawn that could serve as a parking lot, football field, and animal riding area. We raced along a trail leading to the coffee warehouse, followed by dogs that delighted in these comings and goings.
Hunts, bocce games, horseback riding, swings on the cedar tree, football, fetching water, helping with house cleaning, preparing for June festivals, and hard work compensated for the learning. In front of the house, there was a large lawn that could serve as a parking lot, football field, and animal riding area. We raced along a trail leading to the coffee warehouse, followed by dogs that delighted in these comings and goings.
Aunt Leonor, the daughter who accompanied my grandfather until the end of his life, witnessed everything, taking care of us with immense affection, cooking our favorite dishes, pulling our ears when necessary, and cheering us up with her positive and charismatic attitudes. With my grandfather, I learned to love reading, writing, working, interacting with different people, and respecting them.
Aunt Leonor, the daughter who accompanied my grandfather until the end of his life, witnessed everything, taking care of us with immense affection, cooking our favorite dishes, pulling our ears when necessary, and cheering us up with her positive and charismatic attitudes. With my grandfather, I learned to love reading, writing, working, interacting with different people, and respecting them.
With the work on the farm, I learned that it is necessary to have discipline and focus on what is important to be accomplished, and I describe these learnings in the book "As My Portuguese Grandfather Used to Say - Reinvent Yourself in Personal and Professional Life."
With the work on the farm, I learned that it is necessary to have discipline and focus on what is important to be accomplished, and I describe these learnings in the book "As My Portuguese Grandfather Used to Say - Reinvent Yourself in Personal and Professional Life."
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