There is something extraordinary that has been happening. Something beautiful. And it has been happening for some time now.
It happened all through last year, as the world connected over a single phrase, a hashtag #SennaSempre, interlinked through social media, the internet; as time zones crossed paths, bringing strangers closer, making them almost family.
For me, it began over three years ago, as this blog rolled off to a tentative start, still trying to figure out what it was… what it could be. It started with a post I wrote on Ayrton Senna. It was a piece, a short homage, written because, for me, there was simply no other way to start a blog on motorsports.
Through that one short post, I made a family – sisters from across the world, different time zones, different last names, united by our love for one man.
There is Sandra, a sister in Spain, who I first chatted with over Twitter, but then spoke to many months later, when I was in Valencia. And I remember giggling… so much. This wasn’t the first time we were talking, I felt. We had been doing this forever.
Then there was Nikki.
2014: I stood outside Charing Cross searching for her across the street. And when I found her waving back to me, all we could do was hug… and cry… just a little. We hugged. We cried. We hugged some more. We talked…and talked… and talked.
There is Alison. Ali. Our sanity, I think. She’s always there, a quick text away always full of strength, always telling us what we need to hear, not what we want to hear. Don’t sisters do exactly that? Give us strength? Support? Love?
Just like Ann, always there, with sane advice and a dry sense of humor that leaves me in splits, every time. Oh, and she knows her music better than anyone else. She teaches it, after all!
There’s Clara – mom to adorable daughters and Irish to boot. She has met Bruno Senna and Patrick McDreamy Dempsey (so jealous!), rides a motorcycle and says ‘feck’ in a way only she can. There is Audrey from France, whose runs a patisserie and can make the most amazing sweet pasties. I have never eaten them, but they look divine! Darling gorgeous Sandie who is as obsessive about Ayrton… and Bruno (in white shorts!) as all of us!
And dear Nica who lives in Spain and always gives us so much warmth, strength and positivity!
Why am I writing about all of them?
Because, this one is for my sisters on May 1. A day we all feel keenly, even now, after all these years… 21 years to be exact.
Because this one is for Ayrton Senna, the racer. For Ayrton Senna, the legend. For Ayrton Senna, the philanthropist. For Ayrton Senna, my hero.
But also for Ayrton Senna, the man who brought us all together, in a way only he could have. Because on May 1, the best way to remember Ayrton, is by giving thanks for these gorgeous women who have brought madness, laughter, love and joy into my life.
Thank you Ayrton. I miss you.
Article by Chitra Subramanyam | First published on www.ridingfastandflyinglow.com
