FOF Maria is Brazilian and lived with her Amercian businessman husband in a tony Connecticut suburb. When he died, at 50, Maria decided to stay in Connecticut. Now she lives there with a European man.
A decade ago, Maria underwent numerous surgeries on her scalp to remove skin cancer. Happily, she’s been cancer free ever since. Not surprisingly, the cancer caused her to reevaluate her priorities.
Maria is currently thinking of moving back to Rio de Janeiro, which she considers her real home. Although her son lives in Chicago with his family, her sisters and close friends live in Brazil, where people care for one another with an intensity that does not exist in America, Maria told me. Also, Maria’s Connecticut home does not give her easy access to Manhattan, which she needs more and more as she and her companion drive less and less.When I asked if she’ll miss her grandchildren when she moves, Maria answered: “I hope they come to Brazil to learn another language and a new culture.”
The beautiful beach in Rio
Like FOFs all over the country, if not the world, Maria wants to surround herself with the people she loves, in an embracing environment. We no longer have patience for creepy people and alienating places.