Saturday, April 19, 2008

Swimming Is a Way Of Keeping From Drowning


When times were (and are) hard I remembered these lines of Guru Gobind Singh Ji
Oh Shiva! grant me this wish
From good deeds I may never scare
Limb by limb may be torn apart
Abandon battlefield I may never dare

This race however is Sachi's and Sachi's alone. We can at best only guess the road he is travelling. When race horses are training they are made to run with another horse to provide a challenge. I am trying to be that horse instead of letting the cancer take that place. You all are too. Looking at Sachi I think we are succeeding.
Sweet Babi, thank you for asking though.


This picture is of the daffodils growing behind an evergreen bush by the side of our house. Every year I forget that they grow there. When I do see them I am always shocked that I have overlooked them. Such bright color, such perseverance despite neglect, and such effusive joy. Seema, your comment reminded me to go out and look for them. This year they are for you.

The Daffodils

by W. Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high over vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host of golden Daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
. . . . . . .
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never ending line
Along the margin of the bay.
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
. . . . . . .
The waves beside them danced; but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee.
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company.
I gazed - and gazed- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought.
. . . . . . .
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills
And dances with the daffodils.
(Thankyou Mr. Mehta, my ninth grade English teacher)
. . . . . .
I have never seen a sea of Daffodils like Wordsworth; The field of yellow mustard flowers that grows in my village matches this description though. Baba Ji (my dad's elder brother) and I stood in that field once and recited this poem. He lives with those flowers now.
Sachi is sleeping on the family room sofa. It is noon right now. We spent the morning watching 'The Painted Veil' for the second time. I wonder what is the meaning of the title (why painted)? If you have not seen this movie add it to your list of 'must see'. Sachi has gained one pound. Slow but steady we are getting there. Ravi is at his track meet in Iowa (neighboring state), Suraj is with Jeff's family watching the Husker's spring game and Jyoti is working. Sachi and I plan on a quiet cozy day.
Our love and regard to all of you.
Ambi

7 comments:

v(ivek) said...

alo alo alo... great hearing your voices today! i was really thinking about picking up the phone to call but i keep in touch via ravi and figure that you're already answering a multitude of phone calls after the month at mayo! your voices sound very light and full of life for which i am very grateful :)

as for must sees, i would recommend street kings if you're in the mood for some action/detective type thrills or else i hear that into the wild is amazing. i admire Chris Mccandless' trek back to his "roots" tho i wonder how plausible it really is...

lots of love!
pranams,
vivek

Amy said...

Hi Sachi,
I just wanted to say Hi and let you know that I have been thinking of you during this trying time. I wanted to let you & your family know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers. Let me know if I can do anything at all for you & your family. Talk you soon. Can you have visitors yet/
Amy Lorenze

Nandini & Swarup said...

Dearest Sanabhai&Nuabou,
Pranam-
Nuabou,we are very happy ,delighted and greatly relieved going through your beautifully written mail.which contained so many nice thoughts,poems and good news about Sanabhai`s health,It is like a balm to our anxious minds.It seems to us that God above is listening to the concerted prayers and showering rays of happiness and health on Sanabhai(as they show in movies)GOD IS GREAT-we hope and pray now Sanabhai`s recovery and convalescing will be fast-we miss him very much-his voice,our conversation.his affectionate advice etc.
Now coming to beautiful and blooming Daffodils in your garden and Wordsworth`s memorable poem about them was our favourite poet in school and Nandini used to get high marks in English by answering questions from this poem-Nuabou! the beauty,the colour and freshness of these flowers remind us of Anamika(our sweet little grand daughter)-both are adorable.
Sanabhai! May God give you strength and courage to move forward in your journey to recovery.Nuabou-heartfelt thanks to you for giving him the much needed company(24x7) and be the race horse by his side-by God`s grace both of you are sure to win the race leaving behind the demon(who has caused so much pain to our dearest brother).After the win we will all congratulate each other and celebrate togrther.Oh God! please for heaven~s sake bring that day quickly to us.
With lots of love and regards to all of you-
Nandini&Swarup
Ps.
Meditation for the Day
"Never yield to weariness of the sprit.At times,the world`s cares and distractions will intrude and the spirit will become weak.At times like this,carry on and soon the sprit will become strong again.God`s sprit is always with you,to replenish and renew.None ever sincerely sought God`s help in vain.Phsical weariness and exhaustion make a time of rest and communion with God more necessary.When you are overcome by temporary conditions which you cannot control,keep quiet and wait for the power of the sprit to flow back"
Prayer of the Day-
"I pray that I may not speak or act in the midst of emotional upheaval.I pray that I may wait until the tempest is past".
A.A.-Aug.26.

Sini and Sanju said...

MY darling brother n my Angel Bhabi,
It was wonderful talking to both of you
the other day.After a long time you sounded so cheerful n lively...
busy planting the lovely flower plants n smiling with them.I could hear the
sound of relief in your voice.Nuabou dear, GOD is kind to everyone..
only sometimes we r impatient..THANKYOU LORD! FOR, AT LAST YOU HAVE
STARTED TO HEAR OUR HEARTY PRAYERS...'BHAGAWAN KE GHAR MEIN DER HAI ANDHER NAHIN'...
Its sooo true...our dearest brother is slowly gaining weight n feeling better...he is able to talk, although not more
...only to hear his voice is enough...the rest we can hear from nuabou
BHAIYAJI, MERE PYARE PYARE BHAIYA,...you r looking so slim n handsome near the beautiful
flowers...as if waiting to meet us and talk to all of us.We are all so eager to see you Sanabhai,...Had i the wings of a
dove...how far u are from us, ofcourse in miles only...for.. you r nearest to our hearts...as if every moment
we r seeing u and hearing of you.
When can we see you,dear brother???we really miss you...I want to see my TARZAN N HERCULES BROTHER
once again...healthy happy n strong...I know that day is not very far...within no time my
brother will be near us..as usual...cheerful n smiling...
all my love ,prayers n best wishes with both of you...
LOVE SINI N SANJU

Missy Bridges said...

Dear Sachi and Ambi,
I have had very limited internet access of late and am just now catching up on your blog. It is so hard to read about the tough times you are having and yet so moving to be invited in to share your courage and beautiful spirit.

Sonny and I have moved to Little Rock, Arkansas. He has been down there since Thanksgiving and I have been travelling back and forth. Katie decided to finish school in Nebraska so that she could play Varsity tennis for Elkhorn High School. We have vacated our house in Omaha so are currently living out of suitcases in Lincoln at my parents house. We commute back and forth to Omaha almost everyday, and spend our weekends either at tennis meets or in Arkansas. We have a beautiful new home in Little Rock and would adore it if you or any of your family would ever come and visit. Sonny is coming to Lincoln for Girls State Tennis May 14th to the 17th. If you are all feeling up to it we would love to stop by for a short visit.

We are praying for your continued recovery and are so happy you are finally home. Home is definitely "where the heart is", meaning with those family and friends that we love, but it also is sure wonderful having the comfort of being home sleeping in our own beds.

I hope to talk to you soon,
Missy Bridges

Unknown said...

It was an enchanting evening. As the sun retired for the day taking with it all its radiant colors, the sky slowly lowered a veil on its face that turned from dusk to darkness. The transition takes place every day but seldom do we find the time or avail of the opportunity to bathe our senses with the beauty of the ever changing face of Creation, so immersed are we in our own individual pursuits....
We made a late entry into the hall. It was brimming with devotees in rapt attention as they listened to the religious discourse. The throne was adorned by the sacred Guru Granth. I couldn't understand the chaste punjabi used by the priest in his lecture. But, like the language of humanity, love or music, the message of Divinity being universal, does not owe its import or meaning to mere words. From the patches I could comprehend was contained the nectar of the Granth and as I strained every fibre in my brain to decipher the words, my heart understood the meaning and gradually I felt myself drowning in an ocean of wisdom. I was transported to a distant world of spiritual serenity where the air was clean, the atmosphere pure and the feeling ecstatic.... As the three days of Akhand Paath drew to its conclusion, I prostrated in reverence before the Divine Book of Eternal Truth and, like Sanabhai concludes every passing day, said “Thank You, God”.
It was truly a sublime experience and an enriching window to the Unity in Diversity that we, as the inheritors of our 5,000 year old culture, have been blessed by....
Pranams & Prayers
Babi

wahootoby said...

Hello Sachi!
I just want to pass on well wishes from the many guys I chat with at Monday Nite Stag each week who've asked about you and your recovery. I regularly check your blog at work and pass on what I can. I'd like to let you know that we are all thinking of you and praying for you and your family. I look forward to seeing you again soon at the Heart Hospital and on Monday nights! TOBY ANDERSON