Olga Yiantsos

Olga Yiantsos

Growing up, my pappou was both my hero and my best friend; every time he would come visit, I’d be the happiest child in the world. Pappou would come inside and sit in front of the kitchen table, and I would come downstairs, plop right onto his lap, and give him a big hug. Something about Pappou’s embrace made me feel at ease, even though I could never fully wrap my arms around his big κοιλιά. Still, hugging him or sitting on his lap was always a priority of mine. When I was told my Pappou was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I was extremely scared. As a 7 year old girl, the visits to the house turned into visits to the hospital, and loud, cheery laughs turned into sad, overwhelming confusion. Nevertheless, the strongest man I know surpassed yet another seemingly insurmountable obstacle in his life, with amazing courage and such powerful ambition to push onward. Even now, at 16 years old, I still crave the company of my Pappou; and believe it or not, his hugs, his constant smile, and his incredibly loud laugh still bring me at ease. Whether it was seeing Pappou dressed up as Santa Claus on Christmas, cracking my Pappou’s red egg on Easter, or listening to Pappou brag about how good his tsipouro was, the times with my Pappou were and still are some of the happiest moments of my life. My Pappou is my θάρρος and I love him unconditionally.

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