Gabriella, Shreedevi and Amma in NY

[Guest guest]

This morning when I woke at 8 AM here in California, I realized that

Gabriela Rios would have already picked up my dear friend Shreedevi

on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and have taken her to the

Manhattan Center for her first darshan. In fact they were both

probably already there!

 

A few weeks ago I posted a request here for someone to help my

elderly frail friend Shreedevi meet Amma for the first time.

Gabriella replied first although several other list members also

offered. Gabriella is definitely Amma's emmisary in this

transcontinental plot. She even has experience dealing with Special

Needs when Amma goes to Texas. If Mike Brooker's baseball schedule

permits, he and his Amma doll may meet Gabriela and Shreedevi today

as well.

 

When Shreedevi last visited me in California, she asked me if I had

anything that she could read on the way home on the plane and so I

gave her Swamiji's biography of Amma. The heart connection was made

by that book. Shreedevi asked me later if I had ever "met" Amma and

I said yes, that I had met Amma the same way millions of people do.

Her question showed me that she wanted to meet Amma too.

 

When I told her that Gabriela would bring her to Amma, she was very

happy. It seems that she had seen a news item in New York

television about a previous visit by Amma. Seeing the crowds she

thought she could never withstand it. She had talked to her cousin

Rupa in Mumbai about going to see Amma while she was in India and

thought maybe they would have to go to Kerala to see Mother.

(Shreedevi earned one of her degrees--I think the MFA, in Kerala.)

Rupa told her that they would have to wait on line for many many

hours and so they gave up the idea.

 

Shreedevi has been a wonderful generous friend to me for decades.

Whenever I have had hard times, Shreedevi always shows up with a way

to lift my spirits, or a way to make the experience a great

blessing. Gabriela has given a great gift. I hope both of them had

a wonderufl day. I am happy just thinking about it.

 

Aikya

[Guest guest]

Namah Shivaya,

 

We had an incredible time!!!! Aikya, Shreedevi is a joy to be around. She's

also strong, stubborn, and full of life. She wasn't sure how to take me at

first, I was fussing over her about her bags, her needs, etc. At one point,

after darshan we decided to walk around a bit and I said, "Let me take your

bag." She held it and said, "Oh it's okay! I can carry it." I replied with a

smile, "I know you CAN carry it, but I WILL carry it!" She threw her head back

and laughed loudly saying, "OH well then! Okay!" and gave me the bag to hold

for her.

 

We ate lunch together and talked Amma philosophy with a young woman there for

her fist darshan. The young woman was confused about the whole thing,

worshipping another person, deciding her religion, etc. It turns out Shreedevi

and I felt the same and gave her the same advice: Keep questioning! Confusion

is good because it means you are being discriminating. Don't let anyone tell

you what or who Amma is - it's a personal relationship, etc. The young woman

felt much better, I think, after that.

 

Shreedevi insisted on taking the bus alone to meet me at the center, then

returned alone (although I walked her back and saw her get on the bus). Aikya,

you funds for the taxi and such are on there way back to you shortly. We had

such a good time together that she tried very hard to see when in my busy

schedule we could go have lunch or dinner together. However, my seva

assignments and such for the remaining day and a half didn't allow for it. I

will definitely see her again next year as I plan on going to NY again!

 

I had heard NY is a chaotic program, very different from all the others. I

thought folks might have been exaggerating a bit. IT WAS INCREDIBLE! As my

friend Bhadra says, Kali must live in NY! It was exhausting, frustrating,

temper-testing, and patience-pushing, but it was incredible, too! I will

definitely go back.

 

That's all for now. After 6 hrs of sleep over three days, I came home last night

at midnight and just woke up at 2PM! Late for work, but wanted to respond about

my wonderful time with Shreedevi.

 

Aikya - It was all Amma's grace! It was MY pleasure to assist. I am humbled to

be able to be an instrument in helping others see Mother.

 

Amma's Love to all of you,

 

Gabriela

 

Austin, TX satsang

 

 

 

Shreedevi has been a wonderful generous friend to me for decades.

Whenever I have had hard times, Shreedevi always shows up with a way

to lift my spirits, or a way to make the experience a great

blessing. Gabriela has given a great gift. I hope both of them had

a wonderufl day. I am happy just thinking about it.

 

Aikya

 

 

 

Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha!

 

 

 

Ammachi/

 

Ammachi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Dear Gabriela,

 

Thank you for your description of your adventure with Shreedevi. I

will call her for her story this weekend. She is definitely feisty

and independent. That's why she loves the US. She doesn't have the

same freedom in Mumbai. Shreedevi once told me that an astrologer

told her that she'd better learn to be generous. From that I knew

that she'd get along famously with whichever of Amma's children was

so generous as to offer to bring her to Mother's feet. How

wonderful that you both enjoyed each other and that Shreedevi will

have an Amma friend for next year.

 

My next plot will have to be to get Shreedevi and her cousin Rupa to

see Mother during the North India tour.

 

Thank you so much.

 

Aikya

 

Ammachi, Gabriela Rios <gabriela1027>

wrote:

>

> Namah Shivaya,

>

> We had an incredible time!!!! Aikya, Shreedevi is a joy to be

around. She's also strong, stubborn, and full of life. She wasn't

sure how to take me at first, I was fussing over her about her bags,

her needs, etc. At one point, after darshan we decided to walk

around a bit and I said, "Let me take your bag." She held it and

said, "Oh it's okay! I can carry it." I replied with a smile, "I

know you CAN carry it, but I WILL carry it!" She threw her head

back and laughed loudly saying, "OH well then! Okay!" and gave me

the bag to hold for her.

>

> We ate lunch together and talked Amma philosophy with a young

woman there for her fist darshan. The young woman was confused

about the whole thing, worshipping another person, deciding her

religion, etc. It turns out Shreedevi and I felt the same and gave

her the same advice: Keep questioning! Confusion is good because it

means you are being discriminating. Don't let anyone tell you what

or who Amma is - it's a personal relationship, etc. The young woman

felt much better, I think, after that.

>

> Shreedevi insisted on taking the bus alone to meet me at the

center, then returned alone (although I walked her back and saw her

get on the bus). Aikya, you funds for the taxi and such are on

there way back to you shortly. We had such a good time together that

she tried very hard to see when in my busy schedule we could go have

lunch or dinner together. However, my seva assignments and such for

the remaining day and a half didn't allow for it. I will definitely

see her again next year as I plan on going to NY again!

>

> I had heard NY is a chaotic program, very different from all the

others. I thought folks might have been exaggerating a bit. IT WAS

INCREDIBLE! As my friend Bhadra says, Kali must live in NY! It was

exhausting, frustrating, temper-testing, and patience-pushing, but

it was incredible, too! I will definitely go back.

>

> That's all for now. After 6 hrs of sleep over three days, I came

home last night at midnight and just woke up at 2PM! Late for work,

but wanted to respond about my wonderful time with Shreedevi.

>

> Aikya - It was all Amma's grace! It was MY pleasure to assist. I

am humbled to be able to be an instrument in helping others see

Mother.

>

> Amma's Love to all of you,

>

> Gabriela

>

> Austin, TX satsang

>

>

>

> Shreedevi has been a wonderful generous friend to me for decades.

> Whenever I have had hard times, Shreedevi always shows up with a

way

> to lift my spirits, or a way to make the experience a great

> blessing. Gabriela has given a great gift. I hope both of them

had

> a wonderufl day. I am happy just thinking about it.

>

> Aikya

>

>

>

> Aum Amriteswarayai Namaha!

>

>

>

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