One year later...Jayaradhe devi dasi...

livingentity · December 28, 2003

In just a few days it will be one year since our dear friend and godsister, Jayaradhe devi dasi left her material body.

She remains in my thoughts and the memory of our sweet friendship will never fade. I look around my house and see many things to remind me of her - Artwork and other little gifts that she made with her own talented hands and sent to me.

She had a voice like an angel - gentle and soft. This is how I always think of her - gentle, kind and loving.

I would like to hear from others their memories of this sweet devotee.

Priitaa · December 28, 2003

Gosh, has it been a year all ready?! Time passes so fast. I don't have much to say at the moment, as I have work needing to be done, but I so clearly remember how shocked and sad I felt when I learned of her departure. Even tho I knew of her illness, I held out hope. Therefore to hear she left her body felt all of a sudden, out of the blue. That is, one day she was there, emailing me, the next - gone! It was rather shocking, and a wake up call of my own mortality.

Tho we had exchanged a few emails, much was on health so nothing prominent to post here that I can think of at the moment. But also we talked about the movement, and how worried, and I mean WORRIED, she was about it, and how dedicated she was to Srila Prabhupada.

Ya know, I still have some old emails in my mail box, don't have the heart to delete them yet. And still have not removed her from my "quick list" of email addys in my address book. Its not even that we were especially close, but we 'talked.' We had some interests in common too. And I felt for her, with such a serious illness.

I hope her daughter is handling the loss better over time. I remember initially she was shocked, wondering why Krishna took her mother away from her. We often forget that it is disease that takes people away. I also know that about 6 months or so after her mothers passing, she saw a pic or something of Krishna, and said (rough quote) "My mother loved Krishna soooo much. She is with Him now." It was nice she was able to go through the grieving process and come out the other end. Not saying its over, because for the immediately family grieving can last anywhere from a year to five years. I find too many devotees don't have the patience to offer that, but its been proven by therapists that it is needed by some, and by many. But hey, it could be one or two years! /images/graemlins/smile.gif

I know I miss her emails popping up in my email box to this day. Even when we disagreed, she knew how to agree to disagree. She was good at that, a quality I feel in many cases, devotees need to learn so we can stop the kali yuga bickering. We are not all going to agree, and not all the time in this age, but if we could simply agree to disagree, we can move past quite a lot. In some cases, come full circle.

Well, so much for my short post. ha I guess I remembered more than I expected I would when I first started to type! Jayaradhe devi dasi ki jai!

Gauracandra · December 29, 2003

Time really does go by quickly. I don't have anything in particular to say except a small experience I've had. It happened to me once, when a devotee friend of mine passed away. I remembered after hearing of the death, doing what I could through the day. And then at one point, I sat down and opened a can of soda and started drinking. And it was one of the most bizarre experiences I've had. It was kind of a spiritual realization you find in the most mundane things in life. I started to feel the soda go down my throat. I could taste the sugar, and the bubbles. And in my mind I could see my friend's lifeless body and I knew he was dead and I was alive. And it was at that point that, for a brief minute or so of contemplation, in the most mundane of circumstances, that I felt this animating force that I take for granted. In time I'll go on in my life, drink sodas without thinking, but for a brief period I think I could understand subtly what the atma was.

livingentity · December 29, 2003

I know exactly what you are saying. For weeks after Jayaradhe left her body I would be doing just everyday things and find myself thinking that Jayaradhe does not have to deal with this anymore. I remember laying down to take rest one night and thinking about Jayaradhe not doing that anymore.

Most of all, though, I would think about how she was no longer suffering. She suffered so so very much towards the end. Yet, she always had a smile in her voice when she talked to me and always was concerned about me and how I was feeling. Jayaradhe was so kind.

Once she said, "I cannot wait to get my real body." I will never forget that.

livingentity · December 29, 2003

I first met Jayaradhe back on the old VNN forums. I came on one day whining about not having any devotee association where I live. Jayaradhe basically told me to get off my lazy you-know-what and get out there and make some!! I did not know what to say and I have to admit it scared me a bit. She must have realized this by my silence and changed her tactic a bit. We were fast friends ever since!! I chuckle now at my reaction.