Memories with A Treasure of Ease and Vitality
Dearest Aunty Nance,
I’m thinking of you often…as I always do, but this time it’s different. It’s taking me a while to process that the realm of your journey has shifted. You were always so gracious, so I am sure you’ll have so much grace for me as you read this. I want to say how sorry I am that I did not get this out to you before you left us. We chatted briefly after Aunty Lorna passed away last year and I felt, quite strongly, that I needed to tell you how much you have been such a beacon of life, light and hope in my life. I tell so many stores about time spent with you and I wanted to share some of those with you, while you were here with us, so you would know how precious you are to me and so we could have a good laugh at some of the treasured moments we shared together.
I cannot remember you in my life pre age 8, but all of a sudden there was Aunty Nance! This force of joy, vitality and ease, snagging me away from Grandma and Grandpa at Ross Road for countless weekends at Alford Street, parties, family celebrations, church services and so much more. You knew how much I was bored being the only child in the house so any chance you got, you'd to take me away for some excitement.
I remember early Morning Prayer times at the house. All your girls making our way to the living room in the early hours of the morning, half asleep but appreciating your passion and reminder to give over the day to God before all our tasks and commitments begin.
I remember one Palm Sunday you took me to Holy Trinity Church. I learned the hymn “Ride on, Ride on in majesty” as we shared a hymnal and sang together. I found the word “pomp” quite funny at that time. I think of you every year on Palm Sunday since then. We shared many such times together. We’d make our way home and I still remember the unique taste of Aunty Nance’s Sunday Fry Soup.
I was a bit of a terror to your girls Sia, Edna but especially Finda and Yema. I was the terrible little cousin who’d go looking through their things, mess up their rooms, read their magazines, wanting to use their nail polish and be all grown up like them. Looking back, phew I sure drove them nuts. They’d knock on your door complaining that I was troubling them and you’d defend me and ask them to be patient with me or find something else to occupy my mischievous mind. You’d invite me into your room to cuddle up in your bed and read or talk or tell stories.
I remember you gave me my first real “play cooking” experience. You asked me to go down to the kitchen and get some empty tomato tin cans and gather any leaves or ingredients that had dropped on the ground and “play cook.” That was exciting enough but then you took it to a whole new level by asking one of the girls to give me a few hot coals and some sticks to make my own little tiny, fireplace with firewood and take whatever I had picked up and cook it in the tomato can over real fire!!! That was such a wonderful day and it will always be imbedded in my mind.
I remember coming home from Olabisi Winston Webber’s confirmation celebration one evening, and a few moments later, that Sunday night, we were gathered in your living room around a radio listening to the news of the first rebel attack on Sierra Leone…another day and memory that will forever be imbedded in my mind.
I can still see your hand marking my homework and practice math problems. You always gave me such a good balance of play and work. I remember being fixated by the scar on your right hand as you graded my work.
When it turned out that I was switching my choice of Secondary School from St Joseph’s to the Annie Walsh Memorial School, you were elated!!! I remember Shetu coming to you for a weekend and you sent her over to me armed with everything to prepare me for becoming an Annie Walsh student, full of dignity and poise. We spent the day learning the school song, motto and anything that was important for me to make it through those gates on my first day of school set to maintain and continue the legacy of AWMS.
And over the years you were my advocate and champion. I remember doing my first solo with the school choir at a thanksgiving service at Holy Trinity Church. As I walked down the aisle, at the end of the service, you reached out and took my hand, beaming with such joy, pride and delight. The following year I was only able to act in the school play and not make the choir because of a clash in schedules and I remember you approaching me with such concern to find out why I had not sang that year.
You never hesitated to track me down at prizegivings or thanksgivings for photos together.
As the years grew and the distance between us increased, your fond thoughts of love and kind messages did not cease. You still somehow found a way to clothe me with African Attire and shower me with encouragement. You sent me one poignant e-mail Aunty when I first moved out to prairie world that still sustains me to this day.
I just finished looking back at our e-mails and correspondences…oh you are a treasure Aunty Nance. How you manage to stay so current and caring to so many and make each individual feel they are the only person on the planet you care about, is unreal Aunty. Your care and connection with family and friends will last for generations.
You truly lived the motto of your Alma Mater: Non Sibi Sed Omnibus – Not for self but for all. You truly gave your life.
We got to see each other a couple more times on different continents and the warmth of your smile and hugs will always remain with me.
I’m real sad you are gone. I want more time with you. I know you are alive, revived, soaring with your Lord and I rejoice for you. I celebrate you Aunty. I thank you Aunty for your immense love, generosity and kindness.
Aunties don’t last forever…a sad reality. I have been blessed to have some of the most incredible Aunties in the world. Aunts like you who have been a constant pillar, fortress, lifeline, beacon, fortitude, full of joy, stories and zeal for life. I forget you are all just humans; I think you will last forever and it sure shakes me when you all begin to make your way to your eternal home. I’m glad that you shared your love and faith with me so deeply and I know that eternity is really going to be an incredible party and celebration as all our lives with brand new bodies and perspectives come together.
As family and friends on this side of the globe come together to celebrate your life this weekend, I pray you will know that yours was a life well lived, full of incredible impact. I want to be an Aunt like you and I pray for the grace to impact the younger generation the way you did mine.
I don’t want to say goodbye Aunty. I don’t want to because I know somehow I am going to keep telling stories about you, remembering you, and in all of that you will always be alive to me.
Thank you for all your prayers, all the memories, your legacy, hard work, fight for life, faith and all that is you Nance, Lolita.
Hugs and cuddles till we meet again.
Your dear niece,
Lennette
