Aunti Bisi, you have received your wings to fly to heaven and sit on the highest pedestal. You deserve this honor because of the way you lived your life on earth. Your caring and loving personality will forever remain in our hearts. We love you and will miss you.
Tanya, Steven, Harold and your families, I extend my deepest sympathy.
Mum, as I called her was my sister's mother-in-law and my niece and nephews' grammy. More than that, mum she was my friend.
I went to visit mum when I needed a second opinion on what our mutual family physician had said to a question I'd asked or just when I wanted some practical advice on everyday life issues. She never talked down to me. As she answered my questions with care and concern, the 44 years between us would shrink as my respect for her grew. I loved it. We went shopping together for an outfit for her to wear to Aunty Aba's 80th birthday party because she trusted my judgement and liked my style. She would only take me to go glasses shopping with her, even if it meant she had to wait a few weeks until I had an open weekend to go. She felt the shape of our faces were similar, so that if I tried frames on and she liked them, she trusted they'd look good on her too. I was her barber. I was the only one who gave her hair cuts since she moved to B.C. Mum was happy for me when I graduated and excited when I got married. She adopted my husband and found every excuse to give us practical gifts. When I got pregnant, she was thrilled. In the first two trimesters, our ritual was that I call her after my monthly doctor's appointment with the details of my check-up, even though she saw me every week on Sundays when Lana and I usually joined Steven, Musu and the kids to spend the afternoons with her. In the last trimester when I was on maternity leave and had weekly doctor's appointments, I'd spend the hour before my appointment with her after dropping Lana off at the train and then call her after the appointment with the update. I remember once when I didn't go to her house before my appointment because Lana was out of town. I forgot to call her to let her know I wouldn't be coming by. By the time I left the doctor's office, I had a message from her checking to see if I was okay. As I was checking the message, Musu called to tell me to call mum - she had called her too to check on me. Yes, mum was my friend.
If I had any doubts that mum cared for me as one of her own, those doubts were erased when my daughter was born. Though ill and easily exhausted at the time, she drove the 20 minutes or so from her house to ours to see our baby. As if that wasn't precious enough, she brought with her a gift I will always treasure in my heart. Mum does a cross-stitch for each of her grandchildren with their birth statistics and details. She had completed one for my daughter and signed it 'grammy.' Mum was indeed a mother to me and grammy to my daughter. And yes, mum was my friend.
Olabisi - the woman I knew was confident, liberal and pleasant. We shared the joy of our grandchildren. We took time just the two of us for activities we enjoyed. We will miss you but we will mourn this loss not without faith. We loved you dearly, but God loves you most. Goodbye. Sleep, take your rest. May life perpetual shine on you.
AUNTIE BISI -
MY SPECIAL AUNT AND NAMESAKE (Beryl)
Our lives go on without you
But nothing is the same,
We have to hide our heartaches
When someone speaks your name.
Sad are the hearts that love you
Silent the tears that fall,
Living our hearts without you
Is the hardest part of all.
You did so many things for us
Your heart was kind and true,
And when we needed someone
We could always count on you.
The special years will not return
When we were all together,
But with the love within our hearts
You will walk with us forever.
