"Allegramente" {"Be cheerful!"} was the motto of the smiling Italian saint Philip Neri, equally echoed profoundly in the lives of my beloved great-aunts, born in Trinidad, 'Spanish' Creoles of the last century. Their parents, grandparents and those before them were the few surviving indigenous Taino-Spanish people of the Caribbean. We loved them dearly. They died on May 3rd at different years. I want to honor their memories, left to right - Josephine, Eunice, Rita, sisters of my grandmother Nellie who died at the age of 25 and two others whose names I do not know. All the light-skinned sisters were "married off" to Chinese men who came to work in the "New World". Hence began the diversity of my huge family. What we children, now in our 60's, learnt from them was their unabashed trust in "Divine Providence," that absolute trust in a God who never deserts his people. Their lives were rough and tough, especially marrying men of a different race and culture. They were joyful women who remained optimistic, never surrendering to despair. If I were to choose one biblical verse to illustrate them; it would be these words from John 15, 9:
"My own joy may be in you and your joy will be complete if you remain in my love and keep my commandments."
As a multi-racial family, we are deeply grateful for their spirit, their joy and their optimism. May 3rd will always be etched in my memory to honor them. May they rest in peace. +Don Ronaldo YM+
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