Violet Elaine Merritt

My thoughts and my heart today are with my cousins in Barbados Tam, Randolph, Allan, Mike and Pat and Dave here in Australia. I feel the heaviness and sadness in your hearts in having to put your own beloved Mother, Mama to rest. My heart is also with my own siblings and Rosalind and Roger for I know that Aunt Nina’s passing has affected us all and brought back the sadness of losing our own mothers, her Dear Sisters. Those three sisters were mothers to us all. They were kind and loving and caring to us all. I cannot think of one without thinking of the other two, they seemed inseparable to me Growing up in Trinidad, we knew our Mother’s heart was in Barbados with her sisters. Aunt Nina and Aunt Ada often made surprise visits to Trinidad and they were the joyous of times as our own trips to Barbados were. We cousins are united in our love and grief for Aunt Nina. I pray that you, her children and her grandchildren all find comfort in your own and each other’s special memories of her and solace in that she is now with her sisters and surrounded by their great love for each other. As her niece, I have not only loved and respected Aunt Nina dearly for the love and joy she always showed me but I also admired her strength and tenacity in life and her courage and independence as a businesswoman. Aunt Nina, I want you to know that I loved you and that this world indeed is a sadder place for me now knowing that you are gone. I also want you to know that you have shaped the woman I continuously strive to be: your selfless love and generosity for family, your convictions to stand up for what was right and honest, your courage to defend others, your determination and capability to look after yourself and your family, the joy you had for life and big family get-to-gethers and the warmth and love you gave so openly to those you cared about; have given me my ideals and way of life. Thank you I feel blessed to have had you as my Aunt. I can hear your laughter, see your smile, feel your hugs and hear you say “I love you” … until we meet again my dear Aunt Nina. Your Loving niece, Sabiha in Australia.