Amrutha- Inspired by an Angel

An Angel left the Earth leaving behind beautiful inspiration by living and leaving with grace and dignity.

A month ago, I returned from a stay at an Ayurvedic rejuvenation centre and missing the freedom of being alone, I stepped out for a walk in the garden of our gated community. It was a full moon night and I walked barefoot, feeling the moist earth and grass beneath me. 

Unluckily for me (for those of you who know me enough, through my blogs), there were a lot many people out that night which disturbed the quiet of the night. However, with the trained mind of a meditation practitioner (and earphones, of course) I accepted it and within minutes I made myself comfortable and after taking a couple of rounds I settled on my usual patch of grass with my back turned to the world. 

After half an hour, I realised I wasn't going to get that peace since no one was in a mood to leave, so I got up and decided to head back home. As I scrambled back to my feet in an ungainly fashion, I found two ladies approach me. One was a neighbour and a waving friend (our balconies look into each other's homes) and the other, I would soon find out, was her sister.

While my waving neighbour spoke only the local language which I don't speak, her sister was fluent in English and she began speaking to me and asking me what I did. In due course of the conversation, I mentioned that I was a tarot reader and blogger though I blog occasionally, as of late. That bit of information caught her attention and she asked me if I could write a piece for her.

Now, I was taken aback because I do not usually write for anybody, as this space is for my thoughts and I felt a bit awkward but within minutes what she said blew my mind!

She said she wanted me to write about her daughter Amrutha. There was a seven or eight year old running around the garden so I thought it was her, but it wasn't. 

                                           

Amrutha was that beautiful, braveheart daughter of hers, born on 30Nov2001 who left this world in 2017 after valiantly battling cancer. I was horrified. That child would have been turning 25 this year like my son.

The mother calm, despite the storm inside of her and a pain that only she and those like her would know, went on to narrate her story in the next 20 minutes. How could 20 minutes do justice to her daughter or her?

She wanted to be heard. She wanted her daughter's story to be heard and I told her I would write it in a couple of days. I was moved and overwhelmed that she decided to trust me enough. 

When I got home, I was wondering why I took on this task because my hands were full, my shoulder severely injured and I had no idea how to do justice to someone so praiseworthy. 

Anyway, if I say yes, I must follow through. I decided I won't rush and I would wait for the right moment to write. I sent the mother a message to give me details about her daughter and a couple of pictures. She sent me the pictures but no other details.

It has been a month since the conversation happened and I am sure the mother has given up on me. She is back in Qatar, no doubt and back to work.

And here I am, unable to shake Amrutha or her mother out of my head or for that matter the happy little girl running up and down the lawn.

Amrutha was diagnosed with cancer while her head was filled with dreams of becoming a doctor. She was an only child. They lived in Qatar and her mother was a PT teacher in her school. A young girl who was involved in all that she did; an exceptionally bright student, took the diagnosis in her stride, with the rare maturity and understanding, which was admirable in a child. Not once did she say, "why me?"

She was positive and was sure she would get cured and if she wasn't then she would come back in another form. 

Cancer treatments are expensive and she would have to come for her treatments to a renowned hospital in Hyderabad, India. Her parents had to work to earn for her treatments and so this young lady would insist on coming on her own for her treatments. She would fly down on her own and stay with her aunt (my kind, waving neighbour) who would do the needful here. And this way it carried on till hope was bleak.

During this ordeal, she kept telling her parents that if she didn't survive, her parents must not give up on life and instead of mourning they should bless another child and give her the life, she was meant to have. She made them promise that they would. She said she would be back.

She kept spreading cheer even while in hospital and was so in awe of her doctors and the nursing staff. In due course, an elderly man was shifted beside her, suffering from the same ordeal and he was in pain and would be angry and grumpy, sometimes taking it out on the staff. She would patiently coax him to happy temper, reminding him how hard the nurses worked.

When she passed, this man was beside himself. She brought him strength, his wife told the grieving parents.

When the mother finally returned, she decided to resign from work. The Principal had informed her that Amrutha had told her, that this day would come but she shouldn't let her mother go. Her mother was an asset and should continue doing the good work. Her proud mother stayed on.

Amrutha's parents went on to be blessed with a little girl- the one running about energetically with a broad smile on her face. I am not mentioning names for the privacy of those that remain.

Amrutha with so much foresight, despite the pain, is such an inspiration in a world that seems to fight for selfish reasons- me and mine!! This vision of wanting to leave the world a better place whether you are in it or not, is an attitude each and every one of us should adopt. 

The trees whose shade we enjoy today is due to the labour and foresight of someone who grew it knowing that he/she may not be able to enjoy it himself/herself, and they, as Rabindranath Tagore said, had begun to understand the meaning of life.  Amrutha did.

Amrutha means immortal, the nectar of the Gods, that brings immortality and is she not immortal by just being the visionary that she was? Blessed are those who met her and blessed are those who know of her. 

https://unsplash.com/photos/robindranath-tagore-quote-wall-art-QLiNt0sOF0s?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink