“I am very lucky to be able to call my mother mother. I am privileged to have such a dedicated, loving and present woman in my life, even though I have not lived with her since I was 14 years old. She inspires me in my profession, spirituality and way of seeing the world. Letícia Spiller is truly the most incredible woman I have ever met.
I grew up with my mother supporting me in all my choices and encouraging my abilities. From the decision not to go to college, to dedicate myself to the arts, to create my band… She was always with me from the first moment. She bought a drum set and set it up in her living room, and when I played – even though I was making a lot of noise and playing badly – she would look at me, smile and say ‘that’s it, my son’.
When she was very busy at work, she would take me along to the recording sets. If she was calmer, she would invent some kind of ride for us to do. I see this care to this day with my sister [Stella Loureiro, 11]. My mother surrenders to everything she does. In fact, ‘delivery’ would be a great word to describe her, as she lives in the now and does it intensely.
She taught me humility and gratitude for accomplishments. She showed me how good it is to be her and my father’s son (the actor Marcelo Novaes). The fact that people thought she was beautiful and radiant opened doors for my mother to show her work, her talent. In fact, she is a goddess.
Our relationship has always been built on equal terms. My mother always listened to me, asked me for advice and created this place of exchange, even though she has much more knowledge and experience than I do. One of the most striking moments was when I started to see how I had an influence on my mother’s choices, that I had a power to help, even in romantic relationships.
I know having a family like mine is quite a privilege. Today we are still close, always close together. Family is choice and I chose never to be away from it. It’s hard to talk about my mother, because the feeling overflows, transcends. She takes pleasure in making people happy. If I surrender to everything, it’s because I learned from her. If I have contact with my spiritual side, she taught me. She is light, just look at her to see that she shines, inside and out.”
IN TESTIMONY TO MARIANA ARRUDAS
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
