I like quotes. And in trying to decide what I could possibly say about my Oma, I decided to look up quotes about ships and this is the one I found that really spoke to me.

A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for.
Grace Hopper

Now, I didn’t know who Grace Hopper was, and I did a little research. Grace and my Oma had a few things in common. Grace was a naval rear admiral, so she and my Oma shared a love of nautical life. Grace had retired and gone back to work, and retired and gone back to work and then finally and reluctantly retired…just like my Oma. Grace, even after her retirement, still wore her uniform to speaking engagements. My Oma after finally having left the Nina for good also wore her Nina sweatshirts and crew polos frequently. They were also around the same age when their final voyage set sail.

Many reporters wrote about Oma in newspapers in various port cities to which she traveled with the Nina. I even found a post on sportfisherman.com in which one of the contributors posted an article from a newspaper and noted: This is me in about 30 years. Another replied: Thanks for sharing that, livin' and lovin' life till the very end is the way to go.

And that she did. I was often comforted by the thought of her enjoying her travels on “her” ship. She’d send me post cards here and there from different ports. She’d tell me about the colorful characters she’d met. She even got me a set of handmade Russian stacking dolls made by a lady on another ship at one of the ports.

I was so proud of her, happy to tell anyone who would listen about my sailing Oma, the famous Miss Elli of the Nina. My Oma had many other adventures and travels throughout her life. My favorite time with her was my first week living with her after my grandfather passed. We stayed up till at least midnight every night that week, playing games and talking about her younger years. I loved the stories about their time in Okinawa and their life there.

My Oma was such an interesting woman, talented, creative and full of life. In keeping with Grace’s quote, we all know that we were not created to stay here forever. God’s intention for us is to one day return to him. He graciously shared Miss Elli with us for a good long while; she inspired many and touched the hearts of a great number more.

Suzanne Maltezos
Miss Elli's Eldest Granddaughter

June 1, 2011