Demi Lovato shared some very personal, heartfelt words with the world on Sunday in an emotional post on Instagram about her great-grandparents. Lovato's great-grandfather, "Papa," passed away last week at the age of 88. While Lovato is grief-stricken over the loss, she is finding comfort and strength in the resilience of her 93-year-old great-grandmother, who she calls "Mimaw." Lovato describes her as both "an angel" and "the strongest woman I know."
This past week has been especially difficult for Lovato, who is extremely close with great-grandmother. She wrote: "One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was hold her during my Papa's funeral... My heart was in pieces this past week having to say goodbye to him, and watching her breakdown several times was probably the most gut-wrenching thing I've ever witnessed."
Despite the loss of her soulmate and partner of an incredible 54 years, Mimaw is staying positive, Lovato shares. "Watching her strength has given me the inspiration to keep powering through life's most difficult obstacles and conquer them with grace," Lovato wrote. "But even though she's devastated she keeps telling me 'I'm gonna be okay.'"
The post struck a chord with Demi's loyal fans and followers, receiving over 12,000 comments as of Monday afternoon — many of them sharing not only their sympathies but their own similar experiences. Lovato ended her caption asking for prayers and thanking her supporters: "P.S. My dear Lovatics, please pray for her. She is heartbroken but when I told her there were millions of people praying for her, she smiled.... Thank you all for the love and support."
Both Lovato and her great-grandmother are an inspiration for anyone facing difficult times.
Last week, Lovato shared an equally empowering message about body confidence with a nude, un-retouched photo shoot for Vanity Fair. Her new album, Confident, will be released October 16.