Friday 14 May 2021

Happy 80th Birthday Auntie Mafa...

A big HAPPY 80th BIRTHDAY to my auntie Tuamafa (now shortened to Mafa) with whom we celebrated her special day together with our families and some of my cousins flying in from Australia now that the trans-Tasman bubble has opened.

She is my mum's younger sister i.e. three girls with my younger auntie who passed away in the 1980s and another younger sister in Samoa.

It was so neat to see family together especially as many of us had grown up together and shared many memories of her.

I expressed that she was the auntie that I was most scared of, growing up, as she was very strict and had a no-nonsense way about her that I never wanted to say or do anything with her that would get me into trouble. 

However, as I grew up and came to know her, I started to appreciate the many calm and reassuring ways about her that although she never had any biological children of her own, she brought up many children as her own and many of my cousins call her 'mum' and have been blessed with her in their lives.

It was certainly a beautiful night that her younger 'daughter' Annie Grace (beautiful singer and songwriter) organised for her (initially against her wishes in wanting something very low key) but then we all appreciated the beauty of being able to have a family reunion, of sorts, in exchanging stories and enjoying our time together.

I thank God for the influence of this special lady in my life. She continues to be a blessing and a powerful influence to in her strong faith in God, her dedication to loving those around her, her prayer life that binds us together. May God grant to her many, many more birthdays to continue to bless those around her...

 

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