The Funeral
What a final thing the funeral is. We can no longer avoid the stark reality of death, the glaring fact that the person who was once our life, our sweetness and our hope, is no longer among us. For me, the rituals were incredibly helpful. The prayers, the actions, the symbolic ways in which we marked […]
The Wake
Wakes are hard. There is the person you love so much, lying in a coffin, and here is this whole line of people filing by solemnly, tears in their eyes, groping for the right words to say, wishing they could take your sorrow away but knowing there is no way that will happen. Mom’s wake […]
Jay Buys His Aunt a Dress
My cousin Jay is one of my favorite people, and in spite of our meeting only once in ten years, we have a deep connection. He is a Little Brother of Charles de Foucauld, an order whose members take vows of lifelong poverty and whose work is to live among the poor, living and working […]
And from Cathleen . . .
Visiting Grandma and Grandpa was always one of my favorite things to do when we’d come to the US for summer vacation- we would have “serious” discussions , take a tour of the old battleship in Fall River and then settle down with a nice cup of tea.I remember the times when I was little […]
Ravi’s Tribute to Mom
Isn’t this beautiful? Mom will be remembered as a gracious, gentle, wise and kind person. She was always concerned about the happiness and well-being of others. When I first met met her, I was so struck by her qualities that I said to myself,”If Jo (her daughter) is anything like her, then I would like […]
Patricia McGowan, RIP
I want to share Mom’s obituary with all my friends. Patricia (MacGill) McGowan McGOWAN, PATRICIA (MacGILL) age 84, of Providence, RI formerly of Somerset passed away Sat. June 21, 2008 at her residence. She was the wife of Dr. Owen T.P. McGowan to whom she had been married for 54 years.Born in London, […]
Mom
Mom died on June 21st at around 10 AM. I heard the news at the airport with Anand and my brother Christopher. We got home soon after and spent the afternoon at her bedside, gazing at her now still and peaceful face, telling stories and remembering. Dad is alternately brave and bereft.I am so glad […]
Home to Mom
I am returning to America tomorrow, though I have been back here in India less than six weeks. My mother, age 85, is failing rapidly and my sister Lucy, who looks after her, thinks these may be her final days. I pray that I make it home in time to see her once more. Although […]
Concentration2
I love watching children work at the things they set their minds to. This little girl knows the cap has to go back on the pen and she is determined to get it there. She’s got green ink on her fingers and her arm, but look at the calm persistence on her face! She brings […]
Nicola Tansley Visits Latika Vihar
Nicola Tansley! It’s a name that has fascinated me for years. She is an Educational Psychologist and has been working with Tibetan kids with special needs for eight years. She is based in Dharamsala where she serves as a consultant to the Tibetan Government in exile, but she makes regular visits to Dehradun to train […]