A remarkable woman: Dinah Abel

Lady in red…
Not such a happy Monday post today, but one I am going to share with you all anyway.
Her name was Dinah. She was my great-aunt. My grandfather’s sister. And she passed away on Saturday morning.
I will always remember her as one of the tiniest people I have ever met. When I bent down for a cuddle, she barely came up to my chest. I would joke that she was shrinking. At 95, she was one of those remarkable people you read about, but most are not lucky enough to meet.
She lived alone. Never married or had children, but she felt like a grandmother to me. We became close during my university years. I paid my way through these years with a few part time jobs. I tried to steer clear from using up my student loans. I would eat like a typical student. The cheaper the better, sometimes skipping a meal or two to save a little bit of money. I walked everywhere as the tube was far too expensive. I didn’t buy new clothes or go to expensive clubs.
And then, around once a month, I would be treated like a princess by Dinah. She would invite me for high tea. It was such a treat. We would go to a posh hotel. I would dress up. We would order cucumber, cress and salmon sandwiches without the crusts. We would share the little cakes that came with the trays. We would spend hours chatting away drinking a whole pot of tea each. And we would always save the best till last: the scones. We would spread each one lovingly with a dollop of jam and then a huge helping of clotted cream. She would always ask me what should be spread first and I would always say the cream should be on the top and she would then do the same. As she got older it became difficult to meet in the centre of London for her, so I would pop over to hers and bring scones. She was delighted when I brought some home-made marmalade for spreading. Sometimes, if the weather was good enough, we would sit on her balcony and enjoy our afternoon tea session in the sunshine.
While I lived in Japan, she sent me constant post, always those blue pre-paid airmail letters, so the second I looked into my post box I knew the sender was Dinah. She would tell me about the books she was reading, the lectures she was still attending and the weather. She was one of those people who didn’t stop. Even in her nineties, she was still learning. She attended classes about history. She read the latest best-sellers in a bookclub. She was constantly seeing friends and staying over at their place. There was never a dull moment. I remember her 95th surprise birthday party when she could barely blow out all the candles on the cake as she was smiling so broadly.
To me, I will always remember Dinah in a red coat and hat. And I will always think of her when I have scones, which is often. I aspire to be as healthy and fun when I am older. I hope I always have the passion to study, as she did. And I hope one day I will have a great-niece who I can take out for afternoon tea as a special treat.
Today she will be laid to rest. I’m sad I won’t be there to say a final goodbye but we said our goodbyes over the winter holidays when I was at home. We both knew it would be the last time we would see each other. She was ready for her next adventure. So in her honour, today I am going to make scones, spread on jam, put a huge squirt of cream on the top and remember a lovely lady who will truly be missed.