On March 6th

Five years ago, my father

entered his rest in the Lord.

It came as a huge shock to us as a few hours earlier he was planning the farewell of a church member, not knowing

he would be bidding goodbye to us.

I was the only family member near him.

I prayed with him

my mind swooning with disbelief.

Whenever he got sick I used to take him to the hospital

and bring him home safely.

Not this time.

The Lord took him home instead.

A lot of exciting things were going to happen in our church

and it took me a while to cope on that front too.

Mama and Papa in 1947

They got married 11 years later

Mama is holding me.
Papa is holding Anju.
I used to cry a lot because of my congenital eye disease.
Caused a lot of stress.

In the 80s at the Deodars Spiritual Life Center in Mussoorie (N. India)

My father was very fond of planting

roses.

Each winter he used to buy new plants.

We haven 't bought new plants since.

He would be so proud to see his roses blooming.

He has outsoared the shadow of our night;

Envy and calamity and hate and pain,

And that unrest which men miscall delight,

Can touch him not, and torture not again;

P B Shelley

From Adonias