Call from mother

As the 18th death anniversary of my mother, K. Gnaneswari, drew closer, I had enough indications that mother is still with us, guiding us and showering her affection in many different ways. A few days before, one of her close friends and colleagues, Mrs. Achamma Jacob, called me, through my sister, and asked me to come for a prayer- cum-meditation at a place of worship and talk to a group of senior citizens about my work.

I was pleased and took it as a call from mother and promptly accepted the offer and went there. I made it a point to mention this at the short talk that I gave. The family friend also gave me a small memento, which I took it as that given by mother.

Then during my work I came across, in the past two days, words and phrases that made me remember her and the job she did – Central Statistics Office, for example. She retired as an Addl. Director of Statistics, Tamil Nadu government. Then on March 27, a day before, she came in my dream as a slightly younger person and I was telling someone, after briefly seeing her in close quarters and following her, that she remains very much with us. And, even as I finished writing this small piece, a colleague of mine gave me and others at work some sweet and chips saying her mother brought it for her. Mothers have a hold on us as long as we live.