Moving e-mail by Barack's sister. '"Wept tears of joy" over his win'

[kpete]

I am going to offer some excerpts and thoughts on this extraordinary e-mail, but I urge you to read the whole thing yourself, http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/dailypix/2008/Nov/12/letters.pdf with a warning that it is in a PDF file. Maya is clearly the caregiver of the family, having taken care of her grandmother for eight years. I think people need to really take in this fact. While Barack was embarking on an incredible journey to the presidency, he was rest assured that his sister was making sure the family was alright in Hawaii. That means a lot, and shows how much the family has been a great unit in making sure this dream could be achieved. I wouldn't call it a sacrifice, since this was love at work, but it is clear now that Maya is as much a hero to her family as Barack may be to many of us, in his brilliant Presidential campaign. When Barack spoke of the "quiet heroes", it seems to me that Maya is one of them:

..................

Dunham, whom Obama called "Toot" after the Hawaiian word for grandparent, tutu, never showed self-pity or fear as she faced the end of her life, Soetoro-Ng wrote.

But Dunham could be wickedly funny.

"When she saw the number of flowers that had been sent to her," Soetoro-Ng wrote, "she said, 'Oh my ... with all of this hullabaloo, it's going to be embarrassing if I DON'T die.' I gave her a chuckle and of course told her that I wouldn't at all mind such an embarrassment, and then I invited her to stay and dance with me into the new year. She couldn't stay, but she certainly tried, and defied expectations again and again."

......................

From the sadness of the loss of her grandmother, Maya then addresses her brother's victory:

The "relief I feel has everything to do with the profound faith I have in Barack's leadership and vision for this country," she wrote. "I wept tears of joy for all of us on Tuesday. He may not be a perfect man. Certainly, he has often said that he'll likely be an imperfect president, but he is a good man, a smart man, a disciplined soul who balances temperance with determination and courage. We've made a great choice, I assure you."

http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/dailypix/2008/Nov/12/letters.pdf
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/12/11155/241/246/659789

[skeewee08]

1. Amen Maya

We did make a great choice.

[okieinpain]

2. they do seem like a great family. n/t.

[eissa]

3. When is Toot's funeral?

It's been over a week since her passing.

[IndyOp]

5. If she was cremated then a remembrance ceremony could be held at anytime

that will work best for the extended family. In my family we have funerals and graveside ceremonies, but if someone chooses cremation, then the schedule for a funeral or other ceremony is much more flexible.

:hug:

[IndyOp]

6. She was cremated - Maya's letter mentions an urn...

Dunham had died of cancer just two nights before at the age of 86, with Soetoro-Ng at her side. Then, on the day that Obama was elected as America's first black president, Dunham's koa urn arrived and Soetoro-Ng surrounded it with pictures of Dunham's late daughter, Stanley Ann Dunham, Dunham's grandchildren and her great-grandchildren, "all of us who benefited so much from her steady voice and hand," Soetoro-Ng wrote.

...from the DailyKos post here: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/12/11155/241/246/659789

[Hekate]

8. Memorial services in Hawai'i often need to wait for extended family to travel there from afar

I believe that the Obama family plans to go to Hawai'i in December.

Bless them all in this difficult time.

Hekate

[Frustratedlady]

4. Thank you for your thoughts.

Having taken care of several loved ones before they moved on to a better place, I understand your feelings and appreciate that you took the time to communicate with us. We all were hoping Tutu would live to see Barack elected, but I can almost guarantee you that Ann Richards and Molly Ivins invited your beloved Tutu over to share their cloud as they cheered Barack on to greatness. He has a massive task before him, but he still has his supporters watching his back.

Bless you all.

[arewenotdemo]

7. Damn. O has one great little sister.