This is Vivek with his family. He has been a marathon man with unlimited energy, ever ready to help everyone (what a rare quality in a young man). He has driven Bhai back and forth from chicago to Mayo three times in three weeks! is being the perfect host during Bhai's visit to America and is also keeping us entertained, all at the same time. He is a gem and we love spending time with him. The above picture was taken by Sachi at Naren (Vivek's older brother)'s wedding in December. Vivek is on the left; to the right are his mom (Vicky), Naren and his dad Babi (Sachi's youngest brother). Babi and Vicky... You have done a wonderful job raising your boys. ----------------------------------------------------------
From Sachi
The ongoing blog postings continue to comfort us, enriching our lives with varieties of beautiful concepts from so many beautiful minds. What has been overwhelming to me are frequent, personally directed compliments, with carefully selected adjectives (some outside my vocabulary) which, though are acts of kindness, can shoot my ego thru the roof (unless I am careful). I am sure this is coming from my discussions of certain spiritual principles which might have overspilled a little. I am a novice in this field (living on borrowed ideas & lessons) , trying to learn thru reading, hearing, listening, discussing and practicing in daily life as much as possible. The key word here is TRYING. That is all I can do & leave the outcome in His/Her hands. I have not accomplished anything nor reached any destination, which is not the goal anyway. We have been taught: it's the journey not the destination that helps growth & progress in the right direction. That's all I am trying to do. If it seems more than that, it indicates I am only talking the talk and need to walk the walk (into action) more often. And of course there is the huge effect of perception (life is 90% perception 10% facts), that explains the wide differences in interpretation of a given event. One more very important concept: Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder (smell of flowers will make some look for something beautiful, and some others look for a funeral !). That means, when one gives compliments, it reflects the goodness of that person, not so much of the one getting it. So, all of you out there pat yourself on the back for expressing your goodness which is uplifting for everyone who reads them.
For all these ongoing wonderful interactions-- our heartfelt thanks go out to Janelle again, in addition to what Babi wrote a few days ago.
14 comments:
Dearest Sati Mamu and Ambi Main,
Pranam!
Main..Thanks for your beautiful and detailed update on Sati Mamu's treatment and condition..your notes always make all of us feel that we are there with you in person witnessing and sharing each moment with both of you as part of your family..we are proud to be part of this ever so loving and wonderful family!
Sati Mamu..Three more days for week three to get over which also means half the battle won..hope these 3days and the balance 3weeks of your treatment go by uneventfully and smoothly..we both hope and pray that the new medication Oxycontin,the cough drops Cepacol and the Popsicles all work wonders to help reduce the pain from the mouth sores so that you can eat well again and regain your lost weight..We are so proud of you to be able to avoid the feeding tube till now despite the mouth and throat sores..we all are not wrong in saying that "My brother or Mamu strongest"..cause you truly are the strongest person that I have come across in my life.
We both hope that your week with Suka Mamu and Vivek goes well and you are able to enjoy your outings as planned..more movies,lunches n dinners together..and ofcourse the wonderful and cheerful company of both Suka Mamu n Vivek..and then ofcourse you will have Jyoti,Jeff,Suraj,Ravi and Seema giving you company over the weekend..Hope you all have a wonderful weekend together.
Main..I do second your statement about Vivek being a gem..Babi Mamu and Vicky Main I have always wanted to say this to you that-You have done a wonderful job in raising both Naren n Vivek..they both are so loving,caring,giving and beautiful human beings..despite our physical distances I still feel so close to them..they are and always will remain my favorite cousins...hope Jeet is not reading this! :)
Sati Mamu..as for the numerous compliments that you are receiving from all of us is concerned you truly deserve each one of them and much more..
Keep up the positive thought process and your faith in The Lord and all will be fine in no time.
Pranam and Prayers,
Love always,
Leema and Achintya.
dearest bhaiya n bhabi,
wonderful talking to u today nuabou, u really give a good n right picture of what is going on there...ur blog is very nice...thankyou dear...
bhaiyaji, u need not b so modest...u really deserve all the complements that u r getting, from all of us...
lovely picture of babi's family...really a wonderful family..hats off to u all...babi n myself were n r great friends from childhood...we have shared numerous things with each other...though he is only 3 years ypunger to me...i feel as if he is my child...he feels the same way too...what children both of them have brought up!!!!!GOD BLESS THEM ALL
brother dear, me felt very relieved to know abt the medicines...taking which , u could eat..thanks a ton to the doctor...GOD WILLING, these medicines work till the 6th week ,n u do not need the tube...u r really my dearest n strongest brother...keep it up dear! i know u will...u have that much n much more mental strength ,in u ...
we r ok..i will b going to bbsr for few days..so i do not know how far i can read n write comments...let see ..every day i wait for this time to come, so that i can read ur blog n then give a comment..
my love, pranam n prayers r with both of u...love sini n sanju
Dearest Sanabhai&Nuabou,
Pranam.We could not post any comment for last one week as our Comp.(cpu) was out of order.It was set right just one hour earlier.We went through your affectionate well written mail which gave us a picture not only what all are
happening but your thoughts and feelings indicating how ungrudgingly -Sanabhai you are coping with reactions to the treatment.May God bless my strongest brother to grant more physical & mental strength to bear the rest of the treatment.Well begun is half done.Half done is well done.
Sanabhai- never before our entire family including the extended families prayed so sincerely & regularly almost pressurising God to lessen your pain so that you will eat better & regain your weight.It was nice talking to you at Lincoln as you inspite of your personal discomfort sounded happy & relaxed.The photograph in the Blog & Jyoti`s heartfelt comments are very touching.All of you look
so happy in the picture-clinging to each other as you are meeting after a very long time-it shows how much you all missed each other.Sanabhai-you look just the same as handsome as ever.
We hope you are feeling OK after 12th radiation & 3rd Chemo.
You must be having a great time with Badabhai & marathon Vivek being there for the whole week.It gives us a lot of comfort to know that your loving & caring wife (our affectionate Nuabou)is always with you 24X7.
We feel next week will be nice with your children & Seema joining you all.Have fun & be happy-time will passfaster in the second half of the treatment as you gradually travel on the road to recovery.
May God be with you always-With lots love & best wishes to you all,
Nandini&Swarup
Ps.Dear Jyoti,Jeff,Suraj &Ravi
Your comments are very touching & they reveal how much you all adore your loving & caring Baba-Your Baba is an example Positivity&placid equanimity in face of adversity.He is a great spiritual Man indeed.Jyoti-whatever may happen your Baba will always remain the same-devoted,caring and affectionate-children mean the world to him.He will do anything & everything to see a smile in your(all four)face-that`s your Baba-You are very fortunate kids-May God cure him fully & grant him a very very long(as he always shows the lifeline in his hand-a strong,deep & long line-that we are will come true)
Lots of love & hugs to you all
Nandini Apa& Peesa
"...when one gives compliments, it reflects the goodness of that person, not so much of the one getting it."
it is an absolute pleasure to be out here spending all this quality time with my uncles and aunt. i can't wait til the 5 cousins (suraj, ravi, jyotipa, jeffbhai, and seemapa) make their way to rochester...
for everyone's information, the treatment is going well - sati bododa's appetite is getting better, bodoma is keeping busy with some really colorful paintings, and bododa is literally "chillin" in the rochester weather. i am also in great health (how can i not be? they're taking care of me and obviously feeding me very well :)
let the good times roll!
love and pranams
vivek
Sachi-Ambi,
You are lucky to have such a nice and loving family and friends. Most of the comments/compliments in posts are from heart. You can feel that the person is expressing his thoughts from his heart. You two must have done so much for so many people in your life that you have this large circle of relatives and friends.
We will be seeing you guys on March 29th.
Reading your updates now everybody knows that you two are very good writers. When Sachi goes part time next year, you two should write a book.
Avtar-Gurjeet
Dearest Sati Mamu,
Pranam! Hope your 13th radiation and 3rd chemo went well..it was really great to know from Vivek's comments that your appetite is getting better..hope you are able to eat too without much discomfort and pain..I pray everyday to God to lessen your pain and suffering and to make you well and strong again..The protector and ever so loving and giving member of the Mahapatra family.
Sati Mamu just wanted you to know that Maa (Achintya's mother) asked me to tell you that her thoughts and prayers are with you and Main and that she wishes a full and speedy recovery for my most handsome and strongest Mamu's of all..those were exact words.. :)
You take care and remain strong and positive as always.
Pranam and Prayers,
Love always,
Leema.
By quoting you, Vivek has made a beautiful statement. Indeed, there is no quality better than humility in your journey towards greatness…
But when I traversed the length of your latest posting, Nuabou and Sanabhai, I couldn’t hold back my emotions. My eyes filled out and since I was in office that time, I walked to a quiet corner, removed my specs and wiped away my tears. I was beyond words to express my gratitude to God for having allowed us to parent both Naren and Vivek. Like I said in one of my earlier comments, each living being that enters into this world comes with an enormous legacy of Karma from his earlier incarnations. Therefore if our boys have been blessed by Him to be good human beings, it is largely due to the carry forward credit balance from their previous births, and maybe to a small extent due to the best of both of us poured into their upbringing. I personally am indebted to each one of my brothers and sisters for having parented and protected me throughout my life. We can only give what we receive, therefore if we have given anything of any value to our boys, it is the same quality of blessings received from our elders.
Sanabhai, like I told you, I feel restless when I don’t hear your voice for more than a day. But this time I have controlled my urge to pick up the phone and reach out, because I know every time I do that, maybe I get the satisfaction of hearing your voice but every word issuing from your lips causes you avoidable pain and discomfort. The silver lining in the cloud is that your appetite is slowing showing signs of improvement. By God’s grace you shall sail through the remaining days of treatment without having to resort to external help for compensating your dietary requirements.
Janelle once again becomes the beneficiary of our heartfelt thanks. In fact she has now become an integral part of our extended Mahapatra family for having gifted us all with the idea of this Site that is slowly acquiring the divinity of a temple of worship….
Pranams and Prayers
Babi
dearest bhaiya n bhabi,
ENJOYING chicken biriyani????where is my share???all ur stomachs will ache...wait n see...so nuabou, u r cooking delicious dishes n feeding all...good, good..i feel so nice to know that bhaiya mera can eat good food...he was always a good eater...GOD WILLING he will b able to eat till the last day of treatment.
see, with GODS grace, how days are passing by...though not very very smoothly, even then GOD IS VERY KIND ...i know my brother will come out in flying colours...mera bhaiya bhi to great hai...without any complain or grudge or greivance...smilingly he is facing whatever is coming...not a small thing...bhaiyaji, whatever u might say...we have a lot to learn from u ...a long way to go...
bhaiya mera, u r so sweet...u think i am not knowing...with some bahana, bfore i call, u give me a call...so, saving ur sister's money???u always do that...when u come to india, u do not allow us to spend anything..u r really a RAJA BHAIYA.
wish u all the best..may GOD GIVE U MORE N MORE , BOTH PHYSICAL N MENTAL STRENGTH, to complete the whole treatment...my love n prayers r with u both...sini n sanju
Good Morning. I thought I'd let you know that I survived my first nite shift:) It was quite busy and I don't know if Dr. Netz will be so excited about being on with me again. "The Black Cloud" as you always refer to that seems to follow me around was in full force last nite. It was so nice to go to your blog site and see the pictures and finally be able to put faces with names I have heard through the years. Sachi and Ambi I hope you continue to find ways to make the side effects of the treatment more tolerable, you are almost at the half-way mark!!! We are getting back into the swing of things here since our trip. Sachi, I loved reading your most recent entry. I try to always remember the 90/10 theory, but it is not quite the same without you to talk to and even joke about it at times:)I will sign off now, I to share this quote first, not sure who it is from but feel it reflects to some extent what you last wrote. "The man who walks with God always gets to his Destination." Take care, thoughts and prayers are with you all always. Janelle
I met a rare gem today. She's a 48 yo woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996 and who was found to have metastases to many organs in 2002. She has had numerous bouts of chemo/radiation therapy and has undergone many operations. She now presents for numerous infections in her blood that she has been suffering for the past year.
As I examined her, I noticed something very serene about her composure. She seemed not at all in distress. She spoke with proper control, did not have any outbursts of anger/depression, and did not seem apathetic to her situation. Au contraire, she seemed almost at peace with everything around her. She recounted her story to me in detail and with patience.
My young, inexperienced mind could not fathom how someone with such advanced disease could be so calm. But I too have a very close family member who exudes the same serenity and peace as she does. Today, as I sat with her and talked, it seemed as though my Bododa was with me, talking to me. It was a treat to have met her, and it'll be a pleasure to be involved in her treatment in the following days. If not in flesh, you're with me in spirit, Bododa.
So a quick update on my recent patients:
The mentally-retarded Caucasian gentleman with pneumonia made a very swift recovery. It took him about 3 days. The cutest thing about him was the way he would greet me. Whenever I'd ask if I could examine him, he would say "no-no-no" and shake his head quickly. But he was neither angry nor upset as he would comply when I came closer with my stethescope. It was just something he did. He didn't moan in complaint but was patient. I would make sure to always talk to him directly despite the fact that we did not respond. Nonetheless, it was important for me to establish a relationship with him even if it was for only 3 days. I always left his room with a smile, dunno why. I didn't do anything great, but working with him helped me overcome my apprehensions of working with the mentally-ill as I don't have much experience in doing so. And eventually I want to be able to cater to all my patients.
My breast cacer patient is not doing so well although its still early as the antibiotics need a couple of days to kick in. And working with her each day gives me an immense sense of respect for the human spirit.
So, internal medicine is going well. I see such a wide variety of patients and pathologies that it keeps me perpetually engaged in learning and interacting, improving and overcoming, assimilating and applying.
Just wanted to share a paragraph written during one of my darker moments:
“The moving finger writes, and having writ, moves on….
Nor all thy wit nor piety shall lure it back to cancel half a line…
Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it….”
Like little children in the dark we all stand in front of the Universal Mother and ask: “Why me?” And my brother,standing next to me, nudges me gently and whispers into my ear: “Why not me?”
When the testing time unrolls, there doesn’t seem to be an end. One after the other, challenges unfold in front of us, and we like helpless mortals have to walk on fire and scorch ourselves till our Souls are cleansed of all sins, till our will to survive sometimes dissipates into a muffled moan for salvation, till the eternal dance of Creation seems to be an exercise in futility….
When the distant hint of pink in the horizon gets smudged by dark clouds of despair, when we are torn between a call of bloodline from across the continents and the ongoing need of the hour, when every drop of tear is followed by another without respite or relief… we seem to be ready to give up and raise our arms in surrender…...
How many more mountains do we have to scale, how many more oceans do we have to cross, how long do we have to walk on the razor’s edge before we can claim our golden lease of life?
As I find myself asking these unanswerable questions, I see from the corner of my eye a familiar figure again walking towards me and whispering into my ears: “And when you go to bed tonight, no matter what, you still have to kneel down and say ‘Thank you, Lord’…….
Pranams & Prayers
Babi
You couldn't have said it better, Babi dada. You have so appropriately articulated what all of us have been wanting to say, but just didn't know how to.
Bada dada & Khudi, our thoughts and prayers are with you, and with everybody back home in Delhi, more than ever before. I can't begin to imagine how tough it must be. I can just pray for God to give you the strength that you need now and to hold your hand tight as you walk this journey.
Love & prayers,
Pinky & Sushmit
Babi Mamu..I too like Sati Mamu cannot help myself from saying Wow! after reading your beautifully and gently articulated paragraph..as Pinky rightly put it..that you have so appropriately articulated what all of us were wanting to say in this difficult and tragic moment but didn't know how to..Thank you for putting our thoughts into expression!
Love always,
Leema & Achintya.
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