Friday 6 March 2009

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

24 Fertilize my soul:

Kathryn said...

What a lovely tribute to your father. I hope you have a day of good memories. The roses are beautiful.

Teresa said...

A beautiful tribute full of honor and memories. I am sorry for your loss, but happy that he knew salvation. The roses are truly gorgeous, living monuments to his love for beauty and life.

Felisol said...

Dear Amrita,
A beautiful tribute to your father. I guess you must miss him a lot.
Four years, but the memories will always linger on.
Both you and I were blessed to be the ones to be there to say goodbye to our fathers.
It will always follow our lives.
Your parents were an extraordinary handsome couple. Then they also got wonderful children.
The roses living on, being cherished and nourished by you must be a worthy legacy.
From Felisol

LisaShaw said...

What a precious tribute to both of your parents. Love the beautiful family and floral photos. Absolutely precious.

Thank you also for your kind comment on my blog. I so appreciate it.

I enjoy myself whenever I visit. Bless you my sister in Christ.

John Cowart said...

What a nice tribute to your Dad. Those old photos are something to treasure.

The Dementia Nurse said...

This is lovely, Amrita! Thank you for sharing the old photos - I LOVE seeing the path families have traveled over the years. It always reminds me of God's faithfulness and the happy assurance we will see those we love again. Bless you, beautiful sister!

Julia Dutta said...

Amrita,
Hugs! This post makes me speechless. Just to say, I am here to hold your hand...
Love and God Bless,
Julia

Amrita said...

Thank you my kind frieds. In the evening we had a prayer meeting with my Pastor 's family and 2 church aunties. We were so comforted and my sisters called too.

Pat said...

Amrita, these pictures and your words touched my heart so deeply. I can feel your loss, but I can also feel the hope you have of that great reunion that one day you will experience.
The pictures are such a treasure, what a beautiful family!

Annette said...

my lovely friend~ I'm sorry your feeling so much pain right now,and those roses of his that are blooming, he see's them, right from heaven, and the 2 of you will walk hand and hand one day down the streets of gold, and exciting is that, thats one of the many things I cant wait to do when I get to heaven!
I think it's lovely that you plant new plants every year,I'm sure he would have wanted you to.
Hugs
Annette

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hi Amrita :)

I am moved by your loving tribute to your handsome father. His roses are a beautiful reminder to a great man and a noble soul.

Those photos are a treasure.

Best wishes :)

Donetta said...

I am so grateful you have his roses. He would be so proud of you.

Sara said...

how beautiful this is; and how blessed you are to have such memories of the past and hope for the future. i cannot wait to meet your father.

Roo said...

your father sounds like a very special man. i love the family photo you posted of when you were a baby. what a beautiful family! xoxoxoxo

Jeanette said...

You have made me cry with this beautiful, beautiful post! But it is joyful crying mixed with the sadness of loss. The final poem says it all...

the mother of this lot said...

What a lovely post Amrita, and such beautiful pictures.

Sita said...

Touching post, Amrita...a couple of other bloggers are also dealing with the loss, or memory of their father's passing or illness.....all wonderful men of God adored by their families...

Beautiful roses..beautiful family...love the fisrt one with him and your Mom...makes me miss my own family..
Do take care,
Love, Sita
(My in-laws will be in Mussoorie on the 10th and then Mumbai after)

agoodlistener said...

Amrita, what nice memories of your dad. He was certainly a handsome man. And his roses! How good it is that you have them to remind you of him and his love for you.

Saija said...

your parents really made a strikingly handsome couple ...

what a heart warming post & tribute!

blessings on ya!

monsoon dreams said...

wonderful tribute,amrita.i read ur post with tears in my eyes.may be becoz of what i am going through now.God be with you,dear.

Crown of Beauty said...

Dear Amrita, you must miss your father so. Your parents made a lovely couple. You have such a tenderness in the way you write. What a blessing. The pictures are beautiful. And the roses! How beautiful they are! Is it cold where you live? I could never get roses to bloom that way in my garden. I hope you are feeling much better.

Anonymous said...

Sometimes we have the ability to imagine being someone other than oneself. I felt that pull with this entry about your Dad. Truly not thinking of mine(as I often do) but of you, and how you must have felt being the only one there for him; not ever bringing him home again.

I also so sympathize with all the BIG things that were then going on with the church..while you were still grieving the loss of your father, terribly hard.

I have 2 rose bushes in my yard that my dad planted & tenderly nurtured, this was also a lovely reminder of that.

Your father looked quite dashing in that first picture.;0 ~Mary

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Amrita said...

Hello murat darga, you observation is very precise. That painting is Mona Lisa look alike.

Thank you for visiting my blog