Divine grace and Elders blessings

My parents taught me the value of divine grace and elders` blessings right from my childhood.  Every four years my father would take the family on a holiday to the South. Holidays meant not seeing new places but visiting relatives seeking their blessings & visiting temples in the towns which we visited. Using Chennai as the base we would visit all towns in Tamil Nadu where his extended families, especially relatives who were elders to him, lived. Both my parents would prostrate before such elders seeking their blessings. We would also be forced to do the same.  I religiously follow this advice to this day. However, at 80 with related health issues prevent me from prostrating before my elders. If I try it I find that  I need two people to lift me from the floor. Instead, I do the `PAI Lagey`` in true North Indian style.

My visit to see Prabha`s Chithi ( mother`s younger sister) in Pune with my daughter Sowmya was primarily to seek the blessings of this 92-year-old lady, who was staying in a Retirement Community with an assisted living facility. Her son who has a flat in Pune had decided to leave his mother in this facility when he and his wife were proceeding to Australia to visit their son`s family settled there. Even after he returned to Pune, he decided not to take his mother home. I found out the reason during my visit.

The old lady, always full of energy and enthusiasm was thoroughly enjoying her stay in the home. She told us “ I Have many friends here. All the staff members are very nice to me. In fact, every morning before they start work they visit me to seek my blessings because  I am the oldest person in this Home. Though they serve food at your bedside, I prefer to walk down to the canteen. I like the food here, though it is typically Maharashtrian fare”

 She was very excited when she told us about the grand celebrations held by the staff in her honor on her 92^nd birthday a few days earlier. She called the supervisor of the home to show us the pictures taken on the occasion. “You know they had decorated the hall with balloons and festoons. I even cut a birthday cake! They all sang the Happy Birthday song`. Oh! She was excited like a child!

When I asked her if her son visited her that day she responded without any remorse ”No he couldn`t come because he was not doing well. It is ok. I am sure he will visit me when he can”

When I asked her if she would like to go back to stay with her son. her face changed. “I am very happy here. At my son`s home, I feel lonely. My Son and daughter-in-law are so busy, I have nobody to talk to. I sit watching the TV the whole day or read some books. Here I have made so many friends”

I was reminded of a  similar statement made by my late mother-in-law almost 20 years ago when she was staying in an old age home and I would bring her home to give her a break, or so I thought.

Chithi pointed out some bedridden inmates and stated innocently- ”You know I am not even getting a fever.  Though I have a nurse  attending on me I do all my chores myself”

After handing over the several gifts which we had brought with us and after taking the mandatory selfies and photos we left the Home feeling happy that the old lady was having a good time at the Home. However, the way she was looking shrunk and emaciated  I  am not sure If I will see her again.

While leaving I sent a message to her son congratulating him on his wise decision to put up his old mother in the retirement community.  

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