Ellen Merer | Retired Pharmacist

On the 11th February 1924, I arrived 2-months early to a disappointed family who wanted a boy. I was born in the most prestigious hospital in Vienna, Austria, and wasn’t meant to survive, being premature. Being stubborn from the day I was born till the day that I die I proved them wrong and after being in an incubator for 6-months and brought up on peasant's milk, I am now telling my story at 93 in Sydney, Australia.

I'm not afraid of death. I'm ready. I think it's a mystery and all shall be revealed. Some people waste their lives fearing death.

When I think of dying, I look at my orchids. They last for a long while and then the flowers start to shrivel up and fall off. Then I look at them again, and the next one shrivels up and falls off. So in the end, there's just one left, which is going to fall off as they're tired. They've given their beauty and they've had their life, and it's finished.

My belief is that energy doesn't get lost and whatever the supreme power is, it's like a light, like the sun. And depending on how good or bad or how we've wasted our life, that part of energy that's not used up, goes back to the original energy. And that makes perfect sense to me.

The only thing is that I think it would be nice to have some caviar and go dancing as I won't be able to do that again.

—Ellen Merer (2017)

Editor's note: Two-months after writing this letter, Ellen died. I drew solace from her letter and beliefs knowing she was not afraid of death and was ready. Wherever she is now, I shall wish her spirit is dancing again— and indulging in some caviar.
[Ellen Merer 11.02.1924 - 18.09.2017]

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