It is about her.It is all about an awesome woman.She was born in a small graceful village of south India you might not have known her , but for me she was introduced on the very first day of my life on earth ! If I had to say something about my childhood it wouldn’t be complete without her! She was unquestionably the kind of a person whom we all aspire to be with.Here I bring her to you.
She had never been to school .She never knew to read or write .Yet she was wise.She never bothered about her diet or about her looks , yet she was gorgeous ! Proteins & Vitamins never made any sense to her .Science reported that she had a heart failure about two decades ago (1995) ,but she lived a happy contented 96 years before she left us a couple of years ago on April 2013! She walked around till the last few days of her life .Well,what was that in her life that made it so powerful ?
Her life was full of people ! Yes ,full of people , not only that of her own but be it anyone on her streets.She was kindly called as amma in her own little place.She was well known for her deeds of charity and if I had to say it all ,a book wouldn’t do her justice.Gypsies did find shelter in her home.She embraced their children.She cared for them so much that she used to oil their hair and tidy them up. She used to have many visitors from around , the hungry , the sick , the poor and the downtrodden .She had solutions for all of them.I believe,It was that divine love which descended from her Father above, that played power in her life !She wasn’t rich but she had everything !! No wonder ,people called her “nallama “ .She lived the word !! Besides home, if there is one other place she was so fond off it was her church ! Not once would she miss any proceedings there ! Her fear of God and her bonding with the master of the universe was the reason behind her power and confidence !
At home ,children were her world ! she was gifted with three of them after about 15 years of waiting,No wonder she treasured them dearer than her own self. She never worried about their grades at school but she always used to make sure they were comfortable in all possible ways ! Her boys lived upto to it even as they grew onto adults!
I had the privilege of being with her during the first months of my life before I turned a year old and always used to cherish her loving memories. For me my every vacation when at school was her .My brothers and sisters had her warmth for many many years ,for she chose to live with them in her native place, a place that was so close to her heart ,She loved them madly , that one of my brothers wrote her name as his mother’s name in his school books.
On a lighter note, she had a very good sense of humour and she used to mimic many of our tones! She used to hate cricket because her grandsons would have to go hunting for the ball that someone else had batted onto a far off place !! As a mother in law , true she had tides with her daughter in laws at times but I knew , she loved them , she cared for them and she always wished good for them no matter what ! They knew it too ! She did not forget to kiss and bless the hands that cared for her when she was not able be herself anymore ! She blessed the hands that carried her like a baby to the restrooms for the n number of times when she wasn’t able to walk anymore !
As a child I foolishly used to wish that she should never die as I could not think of her going off for ever!
The day did come as it does for all ! Her Goodbye was short ! We were getting things ready for our house warming on an April evening .We live hundreds of miles away from her. I got a phonecall from appa saying she was ill ! I wasn’t very much disturbed about it since somehow strongly I believed she wouldn’t go away this time and we had planned to see her after the function at home here ! But may be God had other plans for her ,that he wanted her just this time !! He took her right away ! She died surrounded by people whom she loved the most on the same night !
Her departure as described by my little sister was so unusual .I would rather call it serene or heavenly ! For years her bed at home was by the window , outside of it there is a guava tree .There hardly used to be birds on it .I have just seen ants and guavas on it for years ! But at that night minutes before her departure ,at 3 am there were birds chirping and singing on it ! It continued for a while and then there was silence.It all stopped and so did her heart ! She passed away as silently as a sleeping baby!
As I was travelling to my hometown ,knowing this is that one last time I shall get to see her ! It did hurt to accept that she wouldn’t open up to talk a word to me ! I had the guilt of not having met her for that one last time before she slipped into silence !
I longed to see her just once for one last time ! Just once to say a proper goodbye , Just once to hold her loving hands ! Just once to show her that my little son talks much more than me ! Just once to hear her call me thangam ! Just once to have my loving husband being blessed by her selfless heart ! Just once to tell her that I sooner will have another little man in my life ! Just once to tell her that her playful lovely little darling is a mother of two sons today ! Just once to tell her that I will miss her badly all through my life ! Just once to call her “amma “. I never have called anyone else “ amma “after her !I call my mother “ mom “ and so does my cousins !! We call our children “ thangam “ ,the word so dear to my heart !
She left us,but not completely.She lives today in the form of two men .They are different from each other but together they sum up her !! Goodness and love still rules !! Several times after her departure, when we visit our hometown the bedside window brings in a ton of memories ! Today, there is a lovely little darling to fill in the every bit of that empty little space ! Her birth did bring immense joy to me,which no words can describe , as I honestly wished my brother gets a baby gal first , a silly little wish just to see amma again in her though every others desired a baby boy for my brother ! She has come back .She is Chrysolite, also known as Sornamani !!
It is Love that rules !!
Sophie
She had never been to school .She never knew to read or write .Yet she was wise.She never bothered about her diet or about her looks , yet she was gorgeous ! Proteins & Vitamins never made any sense to her .Science reported that she had a heart failure about two decades ago (1995) ,but she lived a happy contented 96 years before she left us a couple of years ago on April 2013! She walked around till the last few days of her life .Well,what was that in her life that made it so powerful ?
Her life was full of people ! Yes ,full of people , not only that of her own but be it anyone on her streets.She was kindly called as amma in her own little place.She was well known for her deeds of charity and if I had to say it all ,a book wouldn’t do her justice.Gypsies did find shelter in her home.She embraced their children.She cared for them so much that she used to oil their hair and tidy them up. She used to have many visitors from around , the hungry , the sick , the poor and the downtrodden .She had solutions for all of them.I believe,It was that divine love which descended from her Father above, that played power in her life !She wasn’t rich but she had everything !! No wonder ,people called her “nallama “ .She lived the word !! Besides home, if there is one other place she was so fond off it was her church ! Not once would she miss any proceedings there ! Her fear of God and her bonding with the master of the universe was the reason behind her power and confidence !
At home ,children were her world ! she was gifted with three of them after about 15 years of waiting,No wonder she treasured them dearer than her own self. She never worried about their grades at school but she always used to make sure they were comfortable in all possible ways ! Her boys lived upto to it even as they grew onto adults!
I had the privilege of being with her during the first months of my life before I turned a year old and always used to cherish her loving memories. For me my every vacation when at school was her .My brothers and sisters had her warmth for many many years ,for she chose to live with them in her native place, a place that was so close to her heart ,She loved them madly , that one of my brothers wrote her name as his mother’s name in his school books.
On a lighter note, she had a very good sense of humour and she used to mimic many of our tones! She used to hate cricket because her grandsons would have to go hunting for the ball that someone else had batted onto a far off place !! As a mother in law , true she had tides with her daughter in laws at times but I knew , she loved them , she cared for them and she always wished good for them no matter what ! They knew it too ! She did not forget to kiss and bless the hands that cared for her when she was not able be herself anymore ! She blessed the hands that carried her like a baby to the restrooms for the n number of times when she wasn’t able to walk anymore !
As a child I foolishly used to wish that she should never die as I could not think of her going off for ever!
The day did come as it does for all ! Her Goodbye was short ! We were getting things ready for our house warming on an April evening .We live hundreds of miles away from her. I got a phonecall from appa saying she was ill ! I wasn’t very much disturbed about it since somehow strongly I believed she wouldn’t go away this time and we had planned to see her after the function at home here ! But may be God had other plans for her ,that he wanted her just this time !! He took her right away ! She died surrounded by people whom she loved the most on the same night !
Her departure as described by my little sister was so unusual .I would rather call it serene or heavenly ! For years her bed at home was by the window , outside of it there is a guava tree .There hardly used to be birds on it .I have just seen ants and guavas on it for years ! But at that night minutes before her departure ,at 3 am there were birds chirping and singing on it ! It continued for a while and then there was silence.It all stopped and so did her heart ! She passed away as silently as a sleeping baby!
As I was travelling to my hometown ,knowing this is that one last time I shall get to see her ! It did hurt to accept that she wouldn’t open up to talk a word to me ! I had the guilt of not having met her for that one last time before she slipped into silence !
I longed to see her just once for one last time ! Just once to say a proper goodbye , Just once to hold her loving hands ! Just once to show her that my little son talks much more than me ! Just once to hear her call me thangam ! Just once to have my loving husband being blessed by her selfless heart ! Just once to tell her that I sooner will have another little man in my life ! Just once to tell her that her playful lovely little darling is a mother of two sons today ! Just once to tell her that I will miss her badly all through my life ! Just once to call her “amma “. I never have called anyone else “ amma “after her !I call my mother “ mom “ and so does my cousins !! We call our children “ thangam “ ,the word so dear to my heart !
She left us,but not completely.She lives today in the form of two men .They are different from each other but together they sum up her !! Goodness and love still rules !! Several times after her departure, when we visit our hometown the bedside window brings in a ton of memories ! Today, there is a lovely little darling to fill in the every bit of that empty little space ! Her birth did bring immense joy to me,which no words can describe , as I honestly wished my brother gets a baby gal first , a silly little wish just to see amma again in her though every others desired a baby boy for my brother ! She has come back .She is Chrysolite, also known as Sornamani !!
It is Love that rules !!
Sophie
