Merina Yemaya Satori

Merina Yemaya Satori had a contagious smile that could light up even the darkest room. These are the first impressions that anyone watching this film would have about this remarkable woman. One would never know the grief and emotional pain that Merina has dealt with. As the film begins, we are meeting Merina where “she is” in her journey of life.

Merina is grieving and dying at the same time, yet she is not grieving about her own demise, she is grieving the loss of her “best friend” and daughter Kathy who had died three years earlier. In the film, Merina stated that she had “planned and counted on” Kathy to be there for her when her time came, but Kathy died first. Although Merina stated that she has had “three years to process this fact,” I could see the pain and grief in her eyes knowing that at one time not that long ago, this was very difficult for her to accept. When Merina speaks of Kathy the love she has for her could be seen from miles away. This love between a mother and daughter could never be denied and can be felt while watching this film.

She was one of the fortunate ones who in her time of grief had an opportunity to look back at her life, and come to terms with what was relevant and what wasn’t. One thing Merina said she learned during this process was “not denying her pain, but instead allowing herself to feel it.” She also said that once she was able to deal with her emotions, she was filled with nothing but love. Those are words of wisdom I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Those words will allow me to lead a more fulfilling life and I am deeply thankful to Merina for