Hello to everyone from Jeff and Jyoti!
It was at this time last week, as Jeff and I were impatiently counting the days until we would be with mom and baba, that we heard about Kuku Mamu's death. Unfortunately, Jeff never got the chance to meet him, and all he knows of him are the photos on our walls and my childhood memories of riding on his scooter and being spoiled with desserts. Kuku Mamu always surrounded me with undivided attention and love, and the only child in me remembers wondering why he needed to get married when he had me. :) In every photo I have ever seen of him, he looks like an Indian James Dean, but I knew him as the Mamu who with his endless affection, made me feel like the only 6 year old girl in all of India.
My family has dealt with baba's illness with strength and courage we didn't even know we had, and I know we will get through this next hurdle. I can only imagine how emotionally draining this has been on mom and baba, but I know that mom being in India right now is worth the temporary distance between her and baba. My Auja seems to have had a very hectic week with a badminton tournament and will be unable to visit baba due to a fever. We are all a little nervous about him being alone until mom returns Thursday morning, but as usual baba exaggerated our fears by offering to rent a crib for himself for the next couple of days. We wish!
We all had a great weekend despite mom leaving on Saturday, Friday night we feasted on food made by mom and our dear family friend Carmini Aunty. Saturday evening was spent at the now infamous Canadian Honker, which truly has delicious food, but mostly sounds hilarious when spoken with an Indian accent. Baba and Ravi and Torrey had a busy couple of days catching up on even more shopping and movies. We are counting down the days of this week and are ready to welcome mom and baba home on Friday.
Enjoy the photos of our weekend and of Kuku Mamu and family. Love to everyone and thanks again from the bottom of our hearts for your support.
6 comments:
yoooooo.... first to post! woohoo!
hmm. it was a very bittersweet weekend, all things considered... but i think you rightly said, "making moments count."
hope all's well and i look forward to calling all you when you're reunited this weekend at home on trotter lane. i'm stayin in touch with sati bododa as much as possible. a few calls at every meal! also bodo bododa is safely on his flight back to bbsr. he wishes everyone and gives his blessings.
btw, jyoti apa, those pics are great. i think you and i both know which one particular picture we really want, so please send that along to gmail! as they say, "everyone's got a lil cap'n in them ;)"
lots of love,
pranams,
vivek
Whether it is genes or telepathy, I would never know...but before I wrote this note I wanted to update myself on the latest comments, and chanced upon Naren's. Strange as it may seem, what I read there was exactly what had been taking shape in my mind....Several decades ago, Sudhabhai had given me a small card containing this prayer. It moves me deeply whenever I read it, specially when I am feeling dejected, desperate or depressed.
With our heartfelt prayers and your unyielding strength, He shall carry you, Sanabhai, and your entire family in His all encompassing arms, take you across the abyss and leave you at the doorstep of your home, blessing you with a new lease of life....
Jyoti's latest posting and moving reminiscences were a journey in nostalgia. It started with the jubilant crowd standing witness to the brave struggle by one ailing man surrounded by a family of loving supporters, scrolling slowly down to tender memories of a loved one, lost to the treacherous claws of fate. Even though I have personally had only a few encounters with Kuku, his affectionate gestures and acts of kindness have etched a picture in my heart that has survived many years and shall remain cherished forever....The void left behind by his untimely departure can neither be filled nor repaired. As the departed Soul embarks on its journey to His Heavenly Abode, I pray to God that He grant him eternal peace....
“He who lives in the hearts he leaves behind, never dies”....
Pranams & Prayers
Babi
Dearest Sati Mamu,
Hope your fourth week treatment without Ambi Main is going well without much side effects..Hope you had a good time shopping and watching movies with Ravi and Torrey..but just hope you didn't overdo it and tire yourself out as you had a hectic weekend too before Main left for Delhi.
We too like Jyoti n Jeff feel a bit nervous and anxious that you have to spend a couple of days alone without Main as Bijoy Aja and Janet Aai had to cancel their visit to Rochester due to Bijoy Aja's illness..So now that you are home alone u better take real good care of urself and be good! :)..take as much rest as u can.
Jyoti and Jeff..Thank you so much for the beautiful pictures of your weekend at Rochester before Main left for Delhi..U all look so happy together..esp Sati Mamu who looks so happy,bright and cheerful surrounded by Main and all you loving kids and son-inlaw..Thank you for the other two precious photographs of Kuku Bhaiya with the entire family and of him with Sati Mamu..they really brought back fond loving memories of my childhood..and times spent with Kuku Bhaiya during your visits to India and especially of the time when you stayed back in India for a month with us and Bedi Uncle and Aunty..u surely were an adorable 6 year old..very smart,intelligent,loving and cute kid..which you still are to most of us!:)
Sati Mamu..spoke to Ambi Main last evening..she sounded really down and depressed..my heart really goes out to her,Uncle and Aunty as it's really very hard for them to deal with the sudden and untimely demise of her only brother and their only son..it is especially hard for Main as she has to go through so much hardship at onetime..both emotional and physical..hope she can rest over the weekend at home in Lincoln..We both pray to God to give her and the entire Bedi family the strength and courage to bear the irreperable loss of their loved one.
As Babi Mamu has so rightly quoted-
"He who lives in the hearts he leaves behind, never dies”...
Pranam and Prayers,
Love always,
Leema and Achintya.
Good afternoon. Jyoti, thank you for the wonderful pictures of your family and comments. Your abundant love for one another is infectious and so evident in the pictures. I am so sorry for the hard times you are experiencing, especially Ambi, the burden of sorrow and stress that you are experiencing is uncomprehendable. Sachi has always spoken of your strength, determinination and passion. I pray that these wonderful qualities along with the support of your loved ones and your faith in God will give you the strength to continue to be "The Rock" and the person who holds it all together. Sachi, I pray that your week has been tolerable, you look so good in the photos. Please call me if there is anything I can do back here in Lincoln. I will close for today with this: "You are my rock and my fortress; therefore,for Your names sake lead me and guide me." Psalm 31:3 God Bless. Janelle
There's a lot that's wrong with medicine these days. I know I am starting on a more morose note today, but I can't help it.
I admitted a patient who suffers from constipation and who needed treatment for it. She was in a lot of pain and has been in significant discomfort for a week now, not having gone properly to the bathroom. Some of us who have suffered from constipation know what that feels like - and its just not pretty. Anyway, she was in distress. She underwent some very painful procedures to help her with her condition. And when I saw here, she was refusing her treatments. I stayed with her and watched her cry and say, " I just can't take it anymore". She complained as to how loud it was in the hospital, how no one seems to have time for her, and how she was being treated in an unfriendly manner by some. Now, I'm not saying she was completely correct. Knowing her pretty significant psych history, we were doing all that we could to make her stay comfortable. But at the end of it all, having that sensation of fullness and pain makes anyone bitter to the point of blame. Not just that, the nurses knowing her psych history were tiptoeing around her instead of facing her and making her feel better. Again, I cannot really speak out of experience but more out of what she's telling me. But I did notice that they spoke of her as "that patient (rolling eyes)". Sure we all have very human tendencies to lash out at patients who rub us the wrong way. But the real question is - should we? Is it right for us, in our unique position wherein a patient literally puts their life in our hands/care, to lash out and allow our emotions to color our quality of care? I've seen doctors being short with patients because of an unpleasant interaction with them. Let's try to think from a suffering patient's point of view. Why do we feel as though our background and knowledge gives us any edge over anyone else? Why do we suffer the disease of a superiority complex? It upsets me no end when I see this happening.
But what can one medical student do?
Well all he can do is live by his creed and make that one patient that needs time see that he has time for her. And that's what I did today. She asked me to promise that I would make her better. I told her I could not make that promise as a medical student since I really was limited in what I could do. She replied, "Well whatever you've done so far has worked and made me feel much better. All I'm asking you to do is continue."
I responded, "I promise..."
Jyoti --
Wonderful post. I was very sorry to hear about Kuku Chacha. I haven't seen him in many many years, and seeing those photos you posted is really something! And reading about your relationship with him... it sounds like the kind of fun every kid should have with their Mamu.
I think it's good that your mom made the trip to India, even if she had to leave Uncle for a few days. Sounds like you guys took good care of him in the meantime!
Love,
-aman.
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