My Memoirs - Citizen of the World

and contacted everyone we considered to be our close friends, and
told them what we were going through. They invariably said that
it was okay and that we were not the only parents in the world who
had been faced with such a situation. They said they love Paulo
and us just as much, if not more, than before. I felt that it was easy
for them to say such things because they had not experienced it
themselves. I actually said, “It’s easier to watch the show from the
balcony than it is to be on stage.”
Deodete and I came to understand that millions of parents had
experienced the same thing. It seemed that we were more
preoccupied with other people than our own flesh and blood. We
were nervous that other people would find out. But our suffering
decreased over time, and we were regaining a normal life. When
we met Paulo’s partner, Paul Brennan, who is an Entertainment
Attorney, we found out that he comes from a very nice family who
went through the same experience that we did in the beginning.
We also quickly realized that Paul Brennan is an incredible,
beautiful, and educated human being. Paulo and Paul’s happiness
was so transparent that it became much easier to recover from what
we perceived to be the end of the world.
Years later, Paulo and Paul decided to adopt a child. Again,
Deodete and I became very apprehensive and told them that a child
is not a toy, that he or she required a lot of time and attention. We
asked if they realized what they were getting into, particularly
because they led very busy professional lives. They replied that
they knew exactly what to do and that they would love and take
care of the child as good, if not better, than anyone else would.
They adopted a beautiful girl whom they named Isabel. They
witnessed her birth, cut the cord, and were the first to hold her
when she entered the world. She is now five years old and we love
her as much as our other two granddaughters. She is so beautiful,
happy and gregarious. They have clearly provided this child with
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