And Mary was her name

 Mary (Ah Moi) Soliano

5/7/1948 to 5/5/2021

And Mary was her name, and not so very ordinary girl or dame!  I sort of plagiarised those words from a song.  

But really, my Aunty Ah Moi was no ordinary woman.  In fact, I have to say she was extraordinary in so many ways.  Her kindness and generosity were attributes that she showed willingly and easily.

I have very fond memories of her when we were growing up.  She was always the strict but loving aunt who seemed to just love us unconditionally.

She was dedicated to my Uncle Max and their daughter, Isabel.  Her entire life revolved around them and in turn, they looked after her in her final months.  Good karma, so to speak.  

There are so many stories about her that I remember and sometimes shared.  We have wondered about her tenacity to pick herself up from scratch.  We have laughed at her funny interaction with Uncle Max.  Oh, they have loved each other for as long as I can remember.  Theirs isn’t a love of roses and romantic songs.  It is one of a deep and abiding concern for each other that isn’t bound by paper, certificate or anything legal that sometimes keeps people together.  Theirs is a raw kind of love relationship that is so rare.

When I mention, to others, about the teenage years with her, I sometimes choke on my words.  The emotions are hard to hold in check.  I know it stems from how I feel about her.  She had done too many big and small things for me and I will never be able to repay her in anyway.  Not that she would expect it because that’s not how she is. This is what the true value of goodness is all about.

I will make an effort to be more like my Aunty Ah Moi.  She was a precious gem and it was an honour to know her.

May she rest in peace forever more!