My journal: It's a Happy Mother's Day!

[Guest guest]

Ma, when she was a little girl of about 9 or 10 years old, had a circle of girlfriends around her.. Hers was a sheltered and charmed life - born and brought up in a tiny village of rice farms and coconut trees. Her three brothers were older, and had their own fun things to do, her sister was only a baby, so she invented games for herself and her friends. One of her favorites, she said, was to build a little house - a canopy of palm leaves about a foot or two wide and tall, and install in it a small black and white picture of Swami (He was probably around 25 years old then), decorate it with flowers and garlands, and sing Bhajans together.

 

 

 

She wonders now, if her innocent prayers and Bhajans she had sung all those years ago, are what secured her His grace now – living in the ashram, running around busy from Darshans to Bhajans to Seva, during a time of her life when most couples are retired, wondering how to occupy their time. She lives in a little house that Swami Himself gave them to live in – after He broke ground for the building and let Dad build it. Swami even gave her Himself (a linga - Neelakanteshwara) to install in the puja room of her house. her A little house that she’s so happy in and would never trade for anything else, anywhere else. A little house that she happily keeps, and serves everyone who visits, never once envying the bigger houses

other friends and acquaintances own elsewhere.

 

She has had her share of troubles and pain and suffering of course – the loss of her sister and a brother, Dad’s heart attack and recovery about ten years ago, an ailing aging mother, financial problems and accidents; but through them all, her one constant strength has been Swami, and living in His presence.

 

She remembers the early days more than 25 years ago when they moved to Prashanti Nilayam, supposedly for one year, but they never left. She remembers when she was confused and slightly uncomfortable in the Parthi culture when she wasn’t seeking spirituality, but that quickly changed under Swami’s loving attentions. She remembers fondly of memories when Swami used to talk to her and joke with her everyday – “Where’s your Manmatha?â€, or “You are wearing a new sari, I must give you a padnamaskar", or “Hey, stop those silly thoughtsâ€, or “I got this silk sari specially made for you, with a zari border as big as your townâ€. She remembers too, when He guided her, protected her and took care of her through tough times.

 

So many sweet memories, so much love, so much grace – she wonders why her, when all she can return is gratitude. I think it’s because her gratitude now is as sincere and innocent as it was when she was a child of 10.

 

Sai Ram and love

sai_sravanthi_999