Casa Fin Family Stories: Nick Emery
 I am Nick Emery, the
second-eldest of Nonno Beppi's 18 grandchildren. My parents are Loreta
Fin and Pierre Emery, and I was born in 1983 in Brisbane, Australia. My sister Claire beat me to a detailed list of all the fun and lovely memories we shared of our childhood visits to Nonno. I guess that all I can add to that is my best wishes to Nonno on his 80th birthday, and hope that there are many more birthdays and memories to come.  All my memories of Nonno took place when I stayed with him during school holidays. Therefore, they're always private and in familiar places. However, I remember one public example of when I witnessed how popular and respected Nonno was when I once walked with him down Norton St in Sydney. Needless to say this took place after a lot of food. But every couple of minutes someone would wave to him, or come up for a quick chat, and it was obvious that Nonno was a real pillar of the community. I was just a kid, so only had a vague idea of what Nonno did for a living. Kids don't generally ask those kinds of questions. But reading about his life and reflections on this website have given me pride in having a grandfather who achieved a lot in his life, and gave a lot to others. I also think about the cultural identity that he gave me, and am thankful for the time I got to spend with my grandparents growing up, something that not everybody gets a chance to do. Happy Birthday Nonno !! I love you to bits and still always look forward to a big hug every time I see you. Have a wonderful day, and I'm very sorry that I couldn't be there. Love “Nikolayevich” Nick Emery The Hague May 2010 |