On behalf of the Gangadeen and Ellana families, I would like to honor my aunt ... who most of us called ... Tanty Esther.
Aunty Esther is the last of the siblings on Dad's side ... and this makes it especially sad.
It always grieves us when a loved one is no longer with us... and many memories rush through our minds.
Some of them that I recall ...
As a young woman, Tanty Esther had such vitality and loved life. She was beautiful and loved to dress fashionably.
She had a laugh that was a bit infectious and she loved company.
She knew what she wanted and did not hesitate to pursue it. She was quite an independent woman.
She lived a bit of a privileged life ... she could be Queen Esther. Uncle Evans certainly treated her as such. He adored her.
After he passed away, Tanty Esther missed him terribly. As her health deteriorated in the last several years, she would continue to ask for him ... not fully realizing that he was deceased. It changed who she was.
But we fondly remember her as a woman with a vibrant personality, one who spoke her mind and lived life to its fullest. I remember the many times she and my dad would get into a debate about something and neither would give in ... but within a few minutes of that disagreement so to speak ... they would be interacting as if nothing happened. I think they enjoyed troubling each other. Perhaps, she was like that with all her other siblings too.
She travelled a lot ... and because we have families who lived outside of the US, she would head off to Trinidad, England, Canada and other places.
All together, we are 30 nieces and nephews and I am sure each of us have a few memories of time together with her.
All of us go through heartbreak and sadness and we should take time to work through our grief ... keep the fond memories of Tanty Esther in our hearts ... and remember the wonderful life we shared while she was with us.