Eric

Beryl Angela Soden (May 31, 1923 - February 8, 2016)

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• published: 13 Mar 2016
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This is a little tribute to my friend Beryl Soden who loved the music of Johnny Mathis, who she always carried a school girl's crush on the world famous crooner ever since he visited her hometown in Trinidad back in the 1960s. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is with great sadness that I share with you the passing away of Beryl Angela Soden, a dear friend. As many of you know, out of the kindness of friends Wajeedah and Christine, I've had a place to stay in their lovely home in West Oakland. What made my stay there especially nice was meeting Chris' mother Beryl. We became fast friends and I would look forward to our morning conversations over breakfast, or our afternoons sitting on the front porch, watching the adventure of daily life unfold all around the neighborhood. But most of all, I loved to hear the stories of her home-life growing up in Trinidad. Sometimes she would talk about the countryside and the variety of fruit that was plentiful everywhere, or the unusual trees and other vegetation. She always has plenty of happy stories about Chris, her daughter and Robert, her son. But what was most unusual were the stories of her work-life as one of the executive assistants in the office of Prime Minister Eric Williams, who took office in the early 1950s. I remember a few times I'd invite Beryl into my studio to see the places she had talked about growing up. I'd call up Google Earth on my large editing screen. How delighted she would be to see where her life in Trinidad and Tobago was so fully engaged long ago. One of my favorite stories she would tell was how as a young girl, during a certain time of the year, all her family and friends take a ferry at sunset to a special beach in Tobago. As the full moon rose one of nature's wondrous phenomena would begin. From the sea, thousands of crabs would emerge crawling upon the beach in the bright moonlight. According to Beryl, there were so many crabs you couldn't help stepping on them, so they all wore long boots. They would fill their buckets and head back home for the following days of crabs feasts and sharing meals together. How I wish I could have been there on those exciting times on the beach under the bright moon. One one occasion I found some videos of old news items from the 1950s. She was so amazed to see many of the people she once knew from the Prime Minister's cabinet, those many years ago. You know, I think there are very few pleasures in life than to share across generations. Beryl would have been 93 this May 31st. How enriched life becomes when our elders share with us what seem to be their own epic stories in life. How can one not appreciate the history and the heartfelt connectedness, where age become transparent as the stories reveal all the joys and sorrows, the triumphs and the disappointments we all experience in life's journey. Indeed, such a blessing to have known Beryl and the rich legacy that in some ways lives on through our times of sharing. Onward and upward, Beryl, with love, Ellison

Beryl Angela Soden (May 31, 1923 - February 8, 2016)

• Report rights infringement
• published: 13 Mar 2016
• views: 108

This is a little tribute to my friend Beryl Soden who loved the music of Johnny Mathis, who she always carried a school girl's crush on the world famous crooner ever since he visited her hometown in Trinidad back in the 1960s. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is with great sadness that I share with you the passing away of Beryl Angela Soden, a dear friend. As many of you know, out of the kindness of friends Wajeedah and Christine, I've had a place to stay in their lovely home in West Oakland. What made my stay there especially nice was meeting Chris' mother Beryl. We became fast friends and I would look forward to our morning conversations over breakfast, or our afternoons sitting on the front porch, watching the adventure of daily life unfold all around the neighborhood. But most of all, I loved to hear the stories of her home-life growing up in Trinidad. Sometimes she would talk about the countryside and the variety of fruit that was plentiful everywhere, or the unusual trees and other vegetation. She always has plenty of happy stories about Chris, her daughter and Robert, her son. But what was most unusual were the stories of her work-life as one of the executive assistants in the office of Prime Minister Eric Williams, who took office in the early 1950s. I remember a few times I'd invite Beryl into my studio to see the places she had talked about growing up. I'd call up Google Earth on my large editing screen. How delighted she would be to see where her life in Trinidad and Tobago was so fully engaged long ago. One of my favorite stories she would tell was how as a young girl, during a certain time of the year, all her family and friends take a ferry at sunset to a special beach in Tobago. As the full moon rose one of nature's wondrous phenomena would begin. From the sea, thousands of crabs would emerge crawling upon the beach in the bright moonlight. According to Beryl, there were so many crabs you couldn't help stepping on them, so they all wore long boots. They would fill their buckets and head back home for the following days of crabs feasts and sharing meals together. How I wish I could have been there on those exciting times on the beach under the bright moon. One one occasion I found some videos of old news items from the 1950s. She was so amazed to see many of the people she once knew from the Prime Minister's cabinet, those many years ago. You know, I think there are very few pleasures in life than to share across generations. Beryl would have been 93 this May 31st. How enriched life becomes when our elders share with us what seem to be their own epic stories in life. How can one not appreciate the history and the heartfelt connectedness, where age become transparent as the stories reveal all the joys and sorrows, the triumphs and the disappointments we all experience in life's journey. Indeed, such a blessing to have known Beryl and the rich legacy that in some ways lives on through our times of sharing. Onward and upward, Beryl, with love, Ellison