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Maru Botana on the hardest moment of her life: 'You can live with the loss of a child, but you never understand it'
🇦🇷 Argentina /Culture & Society

Maru Botana on the hardest moment of her life: 'You can live with the loss of a child, but you never understand it'

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Argentine chef Maru Botana spoke about the profound grief of losing her son, Facundo, who died in 2008.
  • Botana described living with the loss as an unending pain, stating, "You can live with the loss of a child, but you never understand it."
  • She shared how focusing on her other children and returning to work helped her rebuild her life after the tragedy.

Argentine chef Maru Botana has opened up about the enduring pain of losing her son, Facundo, who passed away in 2008. In an intimate conversation, Botana reflected on the profound impact of this loss, stating that while one can learn to live with such grief, it is never truly understood.

You can live with the loss of a child, but you never understand it.

— Maru BotanaBotana's reflection on the enduring nature of grief after losing her son.

Botana recounted the moment she received the devastating news, describing a feeling of darkness engulfing her. Even during her journey back to Buenos Aires, she held onto a fragile hope, imagining she might wake her son. "I was a zombie, thinking I was going to wake him up. I couldn't understand it. I never could understand it," she confessed.

I'm going to tell you the ugliest thing you'll ever hear in your life. Facu has passed away.

— Maru Botana's husbandThe words used to inform Botana of her son's death.

She explained that conventional explanations for such profound loss offered little solace. The idea of her son being an "angel" did not ease the void left by his death. Instead, Botana focused on her other children, often shielding them from her deepest anguish by grieving in private. Returning to work just 15 days after her loss, she found, was a crucial step in her process of rebuilding.

The light went out for me.

— Maru BotanaDescribing her initial state of shock upon hearing the news.

Despite the immense pain, Botana emphasized that the death of Facundo was never a taboo subject within their family. They always spoke openly about their loss, a testament to their resilience and commitment to navigating their grief together.

I was a zombie, thinking I was going to wake him up. I couldn't understand it. I never could understand it.

— Maru BotanaRecalling her state of disbelief in the immediate aftermath of her son's death.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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