Having lost another loved one recently, emotions that were long suppressed have been churned up once again.
Today is my mother’s birthday. Or would have been, if she were still here. Only, I lost her nearly fifteen years ago. At the time it was like a tsunami had devastated me. I sleep walked through an entire year, unable to comprehend the magnitude of my loss. Slowly,however, with the help of my near and dear ones, I regained equilibrium, and started to live life once more.
The death of a parent is a reality all of us have to face at some point in our lives. It is normal to feel adrift…rudderless. Mothers, Fathers, siblings…..these are the people who know you, warts and all, from the very beginning. They are your moorings. How does one pick oneself up once they are gone?
With great difficulty.
My grandmother said to me at the time, ” You are not the first, and you will not be the last.” Wise words from a lady who had been orphaned at a very young age.
And so, you put one foot in front of the other, and keep moving.
We are doing just that right now.
In love and remembrance of my wonderful, brave mother. And all the others we have lost along the way. God Bless you and keep you.
I remember many chats with Chandra. She had sort of adopted the young, eager to impress and do-well-professionally-me as I got into the Foundation. She was a seasoned professional who was fairly expressive about her highs and lows, leaving me awestruck about her bodily and mental travails. She doted on you and was proud of your academic performance in general and English in particular. It mattered to her that you wrote well, and she had done well in raising and disciplining you. I’ve lost my Mom at age 45 and still remain confused about things I could have done differently to bring her more joy in her life. For you, I wish I was around you to give you a sense of security that would have been hard not to miss with your Mom gone so early in your life. I’m glad to see that you persevered and have kept growing as a loving human being…love.
Thank you so much Jyoti. That means a lot to me. Yes, I lost mummy very young, and wish I had done a lot of things differently. But, and I’m not sure where this belief comes from, I don’t think anyone we’ve loved are truly lost to us. Our paths are meant to intersect time and again. I hope to meet my mother in some other dimension, just as I am sure you will meet yours too. Much love & let’s catch up when I am in Delhi next.x