Praying for Tia Isca

She is in the hospital, my dear aunt, "Tia Isca", my father's only sibling. She is 95 and very weak. I have been flooded with wonderful memories of how she enriched our lives! Sister Martina, sister Margo and I have been praying, and so has our own Sr Maria and her sisters at the Priory. And other loving relatives. Sister Martina sent us the last picture she has with our beloved aunt. Below it I added photos of the last children's play she wrote and directed, I happened to have a large part and remember well the costume my mom sewed for me. It was her own adaptation of O. Henry's The Last Leaf and we staged it in English!

With my cousin Betinho's lovely French wife Sophie 

Rest in Peace, Tia Isca.

She was my father's beloved sister, his only sibling. Since they both were educated in a British school, they often spoke to each other in English--we kids loved that-- and learned a lot. She was a trove of imagination and creativity--she would have us come to her house to do the most varied activities--from plays (in English) to literary readings, art and book-making, English breakfasts, religion classes, etc etc. How much I learned from her, and how much she inspired me! A mother of seven (her infant daughter Claudia died at 6 months), a wife and thinker, a powerhouse of strength and profound faith. A widow for many decades, and a grandmother and great-grandmother.

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord!

Brazil photos 2: the burial

My father's only sibling, my aunt Teresa (Tia Isca)  with her oldest, Vicente, and my cousin Maria, my childhood playmate and her only daughter among many boys. 

My sister Catarina de Sena and her son Marcos, my godson

The city-owned cemetery is a temporary place, as we plan to have him transferred to the Catholic family cemetery in the state of Rio de Janeiro where my mother is buried, along with her parents.

My brothers, pallbearers