Eva Mendes in Sydney, New South Wales on November 2022.Photo:Tim Hunter / Newspix via Getty

Actress Eva Mendes poses during a McHappy Day visit to Ronald McDonald House in Sydney

Tim Hunter / Newspix via Getty

Eva Mendesis remembering her late brother Carlos Mendez on whatwould have been his 61st birthday.

Mendes' brotherdied on April 17, 2016, at age 53, after being diagnosed with cancer. The actress, 50, paid tribute to his heavenly birthday on Thursday in a sweetInstagram postwith an animated photo of Teri Garr.

Their younger brother, Carlo Mendez, 46, commented on the post, “I still can’t believe it, it’s gonna be 8 years since he passed. Unreal.”

On Monday,the mom of twoexplained that she has a “complicated relationship” with the month of April.

“Oh April… I have such a complicated relationship with you,” wrote Mendes. “Tomorrow would have been my brother’s birthday…..in a couple of weeks from now is the day we lost him…but then, the end of April we got the biggest blessing of all, my little girl was born 8 years ago. I hate you April. But I love you more,” wrote Mendes onInstagram.

The “little girl” mentioned in Mendes' post is her daughterAmada Lee, whom she welcomed withRyan Goslingon April 29, 2016. The couple’s first daughter together,Esmeralda Amada, was born on Sept. 12, 2014.

Mendes reflected on the timing of her brother’s death and the arrival of her second daughter in a previous conversation with PEOPLE,calling it a “tough” situation.

She expressed that one of her “favorite memories” with her brother included spending time together during the holidays.

Eva Mendes shares a portrait of herself on Instagram.Eva Mendes/Instagram

Eva Mendes portrait

Eva Mendes/Instagram

“My favorite memories are when he used to, at Thanksgiving or a big dinner or Christmas dinner, roast everybody — but roast you hard. Of course, I miss him incredibly, and that’s an understatement, but I’m holding on to that tradition," said Mendes.

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“I’m so happy that he gave me that,” she continued. “I don’t think I could carry it on the way he did, but those are some fun memories because he would really get raw.”

source: people.com