Acceptance And Finding Strength

Sandhya13 · Mar 26, 2022

I did read the responses but couldn't login for a while. Every single response to my thread gave me comfort and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

MalStrom said: ↑

I am so sorry for your loss, Sandhya.
I hope time will eventually bring you healing and peace.
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Thank you @MalStrom

Laks09 said: ↑

@Sandhya13 - My condolences for your loss. I went through your post multiple times. I see the depth of your grief and the kind of relationship you shared with your father. I’m so sorry for everything you are going through.
Thank you for sharing your story. I pray that you and your family find strength during this difficult time. I hope in time you can reminisce the beautiful memories without being in pain. Here’s wishing you a lot of healing.
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Thank you dear @Laks09 I hope so too that in time we can recall the memories without pain. Even in the recent call with my sister she was telling me the same thing as we recalled a beautiful memory of our dad with moist eyes. It is the longing to have more time with our Dad which is the hardest to overcome for us. We hope with time we just accept the things that cannot be changed. Time cannot heal a big loss like this but we hope to learn to live with it without hurting much.

Amica said: ↑

My sympathies on your loss, @Sandhya13.

And thank you for sharing beautiful memories of your father.

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Thank you @Amica for reading my post and for your kind words.

anika987 said: ↑

I could feel your pain..how much it hurts..
I lost my dad when 1 was 17 and felt so lost…
Your words resonated with me..

Nothing like dad..our hero!!
Take time to grieve and yes this loss cannot be replaced but time will heal and replace your mind with fond memories of him..
Feel free to journal your thoughts anytime dear..
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Thank you dear. I am so sorry to learn about your loss. It is devastating to lose someone close to our heart. Yes, journaling helps greatly. And I am hoping with time I will get a better hold of my feeling and emotions of my irreplaceable loss.

Sandhya13 · Mar 26, 2022

Srama said: ↑

Dear Sandhya,

So sorry for your loss! What a heart warming tribute to your father. I am glad that your memories are so happy and your dad made you and your sister feel like princesses. Our dad used to call us girls "his dream girls" and loved carrying us on his shoulders. Dads, I tell you! I am also happy to note that you saw connections in the days after and found some solace and peace. From all that you have shared about him, he seems a wonderful man and you will remember him with love and fondness. Praying for strength for your family and you are right acceptance helps us find strength - much love!
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Dear @Srama thank you so much for your love and wishes.
'Dream girls' awww that's very nice. Thank you for sharing. You spread a lot of positivity and warmth wherever you are, even in the virtual world and leave a lasting impression that you came in my dreams once I don't recall seeing your face or any features in particular but I remember it was you.

I do feel the connection with my dad many a times. The other day, my LO brought TV remote and said I can dial the numbers here and make a call. I was smiling and telling her that this is a TV remote not a phone to which she said its okay mommy just dial and talk to thatha. It was out of blue she said that. There are many times like this I feel some connection - sometimes through kids, sometime through nature, sometimes it might be through other objects. But every time it does offer some solace to me.

Sandhya13 · Mar 26, 2022

Gauri03 said: ↑

My deepest condolences on the irreparable loss, Sandhya. You were blessed to have had such a special bond with your father. His memory will live on through you.
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Thank you my dear @Gauri03
My dad will live in my heart forever and I make sure to tell all those fond stories to my kids

Sandhya13 · Mar 26, 2022

Thyagarajan said: ↑

Dear Sister @Sandhya13

Such a long jotting, covering entire gamut of emotions between a beloved Appa & his darling Daughter. How was it possible to put it down here in such a cogent lucid prose! Having done so, you might feel akin to carrying a light heart.

Oh my god - what a bond between papa & his girl!

I am sorry that your Appa was called back tad sooner to pavilion by God for some other project in Vaikuntam.

Lengthy blogs I always read from bottom top. If last paragraph or few sentences kindle my thoughts or and interest then I read backwards further.

I re-read this blog at times with moist eyes and a slight whimper and ebbing heart.

I pray almighty to give your family members and you adequate strength to bear loss of your beloved Appa and manage with the void that his departure had caused among Mother, your kith & kin & you.

Many of the passages in this narration in terms of Appa’s love, affection, generosity etc brings my late dad into focus.

I trust reading of write-up in the link below
Spouse & I With Dad - A Surgical Operation
might offer - kind of solace & comfort you.

Appas’ memories would stay ever-green in our mind.
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Dear @Thyagarajan sir
You are spot on that it did feel a lot better after writing here. But it was more special to know that you all read it and offered your kind words and thoughts to me. It also heartwarming to know that you are able to relate thinking of your late father. Thank you for letting me know about the other snippet of you and I will make sure I read it.

shyamala1234 said: ↑

Very sad for your loss. My deep condolences. We have many memories about dad. Many insignificant things at that time sound so special now. I lost my dad in 2008.
Though dad is not with us physically he is always in our heart.
Syamala
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Thank you @shyamala1234 You are so right that when we relive the memories we get a perspective of the then insignificant moments which are in fact manifestations of deeper emotions. I am sorry for your loss.

sanjuruby3 said: ↑

@Sandhya13
My thoughts and prayers are with you. May your dad rest in peace.

I have known you, virtually ofcourse, from almost decade now..after older one was born. Our kids are almost same age.
Your dad will always be with you and your kids. You can keep him alive by narrating his stories to kids so they know their grandparents.
I can not image losing my parents.
Living so far and kind of stuck in this life with covid/war and kids school, i go through same worries.
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Thank you @sanjuruby3
I do that often - talking to my kids about grandparents especially my dad.
I understand your worries. I have been through that. I wish you and your kids many many more happy memorable years with your parents.

sunnysideup · Mar 26, 2022

Sandhya13 said: ↑

I am coming here after a long break. I don’t know how to start or where to start with this post. I lost a big piece of my heart when my dad passed away and the pain is too deep that it is hard to bear. I am writing here hoping that this will be a free therapy for my broken heart.

It all happened so quickly, and I still hope that this is a bad dream from which I'd wake up one fine morning. There are many things that hurt me so much. I wasn’t physically present by him at the time of his passing. It has been more than 4 years we met in person, and he didn’t get to meet his only granddaughter although he spent many more fun times with his grandsons. Pandemic started just when my little girl turned one. Our next India trip got so delayed due to pandemic and our legal status (we were on visa and just got GC) added more complexity to overseas travel. I have many unfulfilled dreams involving my dad, and unfortunately, I will not have a chance to see any of those come true in real life. I keep asking this question several times - how could my dad just pass away? He was down with fever one day, and he seemed to be taking it fine. Suddenly he became too weak and was admitted in hospital the end of 2nd day. We got to know it was covid. He passed away the 4th day due to septic shock. About 10 days before his passing, he got fever which lasted a couple of days but he recovered pretty quickly. My mom when she took him to the Doctor asked about covid test at that time and Doctor just brushed aside saying this must be a common fever. I am wondering if the outcome would be different had we tested for covid back then. A few days later he again got fever and passed away. He was fully vaccinated. My little sister and I are dealing with the intense guilt of what we could've done differently to save him. We were not even remotely close to think about the end of his physical life. May be because of that we did not take the fever seriously at first. I don’t know. We keep going in circles of different alternate events in past had it occurred might have had the potential to save him. How come a person so full of life even a few days before his death could just like that pass away? He did not have any chronic conditions common for his age group and was not in any regular medication. Our hearts yearn for one more chance to make him happy and see him smile. We yearn for one more hug, one more time to hear his voice calling us with the endearment terms that only our dad uses. We don’t know how to accept and make peace with this.

Amidst the heart wrenching grief that we experience, we also realize that there are innumerable things to be grateful for. Having to experience the purest form of love from mother and father is a great blessing. But this is what makes the physical separation from our dad unbearable. We are grateful for all the time he spent with his dear most grandkids. He just adored and loved all of them to bits. We are grateful that despite dad being covid+, I got to talk to him in video calls, and sister/mom were allowed to see him in hospital. Above all, we are eternally grateful that my loving sister was able to perform his last rites. She is the backbone of our family, and we are so proud of her!

We try to soothe our aching heart by remembering and cherishing the countless happy memories with our dad. I'd just write a few here. We were literally treated as Princess by our dad. He did his best within his financial limits to provide us a comfortable and happy life. When I just joined college, he did not want me to use public transport. He just could not get himself imagine me travelling amid the rushing morning crowd, not to forget the walk to the bus stop and the unpredictable wait times for the arrival of public transport. See, in his eyes we were the royal princesses who shouldn’t go through any hardships however little it could be! He tried his best to convince the families of my classmates from my area to arrange for a shared private transport. Since they didn’t budge and that my dad couldn’t afford to arrange one exclusively for me, he had to drop this plan with a heavy heart. I didn’t give much thought at that time but later when I reflected on this, I could clearly see how over protective my dad was of me which is nothing but a manifestation of his deep love. There are many many more instances like this. Even during the last video call I had with him, I just couldn’t control my tears while cheering up for his speedy recovery. See, I am this overly emotional person who can seldom control my expressions even when I try hard to. My dad got very anxious seeing me tearing up and just couldn’t endure it even for a few seconds. For him, we should never be sad or shed tears for anything. He was sighing to me and to my sister who was by his side to not cry at all and be brave. We try to remember this now and stay strong as that’s what he would want us to do. The bright smiling face of my dad signing me thumps up which was the last time I saw him alive, will be etched in my soul forever.

Appa had a handsome face, great eyesight, strong tooth which enabled him to eat sugarcane even a few days before his passing, and head full of thick lustrous albeit grey hair even at the age of 72. He would promptly dye his hair On the other day, my sister was telling me that if she feels like seeing our dad again all she needs to do is to make a videocall to see me. Yes, it is a universal truth that I am a female copy of him. So many people have said this several times - even those who see us for the first time. I have his eyes, his nose, his lips, and even my tooth arrangement goes after him. I am immensely grateful that I see his reflection every time I see the mirror. He always had a youthful look so much that at the age of 54 when he stopped by my friend's place to get something for me, my friend's mother mistook him as my 20+ year old brother (judging by our striking resemblance) and addressed him informally. By the way, I don’t have a brother, but my friend's mom was just very sure in her first meet that he must have been my brother. My friend narrated this in front of a huge group in our college and I was just grinning ear to ear. There are a few more incidents like this when he was mistook as a 20 year young adult at the age of 50+.

I have another distinct memory which always makes me smile. One of our favorite things to do has always been to take out the photo albums one by one starting from our parent's wedding album to the recent ones and cherish the memories captured in the form of pictures. During one of our teenage days while we were doing that, our mom remarked how handsome dad looks in one of the wedding pictures. It was more of blurting out something directly from her mind without any processing. That's it! My sister and I since then never left a chance to tease our mom with what she said, especially during the times when she complains or is irked by something he said or did. Appa is not a regular cook, but he has his signature dishes that are quite popular in the whole family - veg biryani, Iyengar bakery spicy bread toast, lemon rasam with super spicy tangy shredded carrot, slit okra fry etc. to name a few. We still remember the aroma that filled up our house when he cooked veg biryani the first time. He sings upma recipe as a song. When we were little, our most favorite play is to dress up our dad by styling his hair with pigtails/braids/clips and putting make up on his face. Many a times I remember him falling deep asleep while we "work" on his face and hair. One day he woke up in the morning and was startled to look at his face in the mirror See, he went to bed with all those pigtails and make up on. As little girls, we used to ask him who he loves more between the two of us for which he always says that both of us are like 2 eyes to him. My beloved sister and mom though disagree with this of late, and always maintain that I am his most favorite. We recall many such stories and incidents that puts a broad smile on our face. It is always though laced with a tinge of sadness.

There are many fine qualities about Appa. One of the things that stands out is his firm resolve and efforts to ensure there is no food wastage. If he sees food being wasted no matter the quantity, it pains him deeply and will try everything he can to make sure it is consumed. Another quality of him is his attitude of keeping no grudge against anybody. If one were to sum up his personality in 2 words, it would be 'Letting go' - especially the people and associated memories leading to negative emotions. He never lets any negative feelings get inside too deeply. I will try my best to follow these.

I'd like to end this long post by sharing a miraculous and intimate experience that only my Appa could've bestowed me with. About 3 weeks after his passing, Appa came in my dreams. I vividly remember the setting - it was some special occasion, and I was cooking a feast with so many special dishes. Appa was sitting in front of me and eating in a big banana leaf. He asked me to freshly make and serve him veg uthappam. I was a little surprised even in my dream and asked him if he was sure he wants a uthappam as he always likes to have paper thin super crispy dosas only. But he insisted uthappam and I made and served him that. It indeed is true that my dad never liked to have sponge uthappams, it was always super crispy dosas with no exceptions. I remember him skipping dinner one day because there were only uthappams and not crispy dosas available at that place. He was just fine with a cup of warm milk then. So, the next day I narrated my dream to my mom, and I could sense my mom getting very emotional. See, when a person who passed away appears in dreams and is seen having a sumptuous meal on a banana leaf, then it regarded as a very auspicious and good sign that his soul is happy and at peace. I thought she was emotional about my dad appearing in my dreams and the significance of it. But there was more to it. She said that as a matter of fact for the past 2 years he always asked only for sponge uthappams and not crispy dosas anymore. For some reason this never came during any of our conversions in the past, so I had no idea about it. The dream, its significance, and the constant presence of my dad - all felt so real for me. But this is not all. A few days later, on his one-month thithi (maasiyam) my menu was super spicy shredded carrot on uthappam, methu vada, payasam, sambar, chutney. This might be an unusual menu for a maasiyam, but this is what Appa asked me to prepare in my dream. So, of course it will be this. I made all this fondly reminiscing our happy times in my heart, thinking of my recent dream and his smiling face while tears flowing in my eyes. After pooja and neivethyam, I did the customary offering to crow. I always have followed this custom each year without fail during my FIL's yearly anniversary, aadi and thai month amavasai. My home is in a major metro area in the US. In the place where I live, though crows are commonly found more so in the southern part of the State I have never seen or even heard a crow around my home even once in these 6 years of living in my current home. But I did the offering as part of the custom. The next day of maasiyam, which was incidentally the one-month anniversary of my dad based on the English calendar date, we heard something that sounded like cawing. I was asking DH if it were a duck. DH said it sounded like a crow. I rushed to the window with a racing heart only to see a pair of big black ravens in the tree opposite to our house. Then one flew over above our roof, but the other big black raven came and sat on our fence near the offering I made the previous day. (it is winter here and so all those items stayed good outside even after a day due to very cold weather). The big black raven then picked up the vada and was slowly relishing it. I called DH to come slowly to the window. Then we both watched the raven picking up the uthappam next and savoring it. We just couldn't believe what we saw. For anniversary offerings, it is such an auspicious sign to have a single black raven accepting the offering first (more auspicious than a group of common crows). And black ravens are not common at all in our State compared to common crows that I feel it is extraordinary that one made a visit on this special occasion only to accept my offering. I was watching all this overwhelmed with emotions and tears rolling from my eyes uncontrollably. But that was not all. My toddler girl, who was playing in the living room, came up to me and said 'mommy, thatha came and ate mumum'. In Tamil, 'thatha' means grandfather 'mumum' means food. I stood frozen by what she said as we never uttered the word 'thatha' during this whole time even once. How come she said those words? My sweetest little one said it loud and clear just what I needed to hear. The pure little heart of innocent kids is equivalent to God. That was my Appa ensuring through his most adored granddaughter that I understood he has always been right there with us. I was very overwhelmed with what my Appa managed to accomplish in unique profound ways to comfort my aching heart.

There were many things that left me astonished after that incident - Appa appearing in my dream and asking for a particular food which I didn’t knew was his preference of late and accepting my offering and ensuring I heard what I needed to hear the most through my little one. See, the sound of clawing is so distinct that there is no way we would've missed if crows or ravens visited around our area in the past years and especially that we both have been working from home for the past 2 years. But we never heard or seen one - not even crows which are more common. Also, we never uttered the word 'thatha' even once during that time. I was amazed how my baby girl said that. But much later, we understood she probably was saying 'kaka' as 'thatha'. 'Kaka' means crow and 'thatha' means grandfather. She cannot say 'ka' yet and substitutes 'tha' for 'ka' most times. Nevertheless, the timing and underlying meaning of all this is mind boggling. After the incident, with a heavy heart I was going back to my room to get back to work knowing how much Appa loves me, and how he has shown me that he is at peace and satiated and that I must try my best to stay happy and strong for him until we meet again on the other side of the world.

Those we love don't go away,
They walk beside us everyday,
Unseen, unheard but always near,
So loved, so missed so very dear.
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What a heartfelt tribute. The post truly brought out the immense love and affection you have for your dearest father.
I lost my dad in my teen years and in fact it was his 20th death anniversary this month. But trust me when I tell this that our family still misses him the same. Your wonderful post brought back such fond memories of my own father and made me teary eyed. I can relate to the dream so much. Even now me and my siblings do get dreams whenever we are facing any difficulties in our life. I think he remains the pillar of support to us ever after passing away.
Finally I just want to add you have lost only his physical form, your dad is always with you in your thoughts, actions and many awesome memories. Tell your daughter what an amazing man your dad was.

GoneGirl · Mar 26, 2022

Dear Sandhya,

Am so so sorry for your loss.. I read your post and cried, having gone through the loss of a loved one recently I can feel the hurt and heartache that such a loss leaves us with.. I have realized that my kids give me peace and hope to look forward to another day. Lovely read the incidents with your little one..Hope you find the strength to keep going forward, making your dad proud to have raised such wonderful daughters.

MadhuRK · Mar 27, 2022

Sandhya13 said: ↑

Our hearts yearn for one more chance to make him happy and see him smile. We yearn for one more hug, one more time to hear his voice calling us with the endearment terms that only our dad uses. We don’t know how to accept and make peace with this.
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Dear Sandhya,

With these two heart-wrenching lines, you touched a deep core in my heart which I'm afraid to even go and visit.

What a beautiful love-story your father shared and how much you have cherished each other ! As a third-person, if I had this lump in my throat on just reading what you have written, I cannot imagine what you must be going through, having shared those experiences and lived in those moments.

This is too much for a small ant like me to give you any semblance of solace or comfort. I humbly pray to Bhagawan to help you find the strength and peace. Your mom, sister and the rest of your family must be looking up at you now, to offer the support that they once received from your dad. I hope you are able to bear this calamity with fortitude.

Srama · Mar 27, 2022

Dear Sandhya,

I am so so touched! Thank you!

Sandhya13 said: ↑

Dear @Srama thank you so much for your love and wishes.
'Dream girls' awww that's very nice. Thank you for sharing. You spread a lot of positivity and warmth wherever you are, even in the virtual world and leave a lasting impression that you came in my dreams once I don't recall seeing your face or any features in particular but I remember it was you.
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You truly made my day, my friend and put to rest thoughts that dissuade me from posting when I write sometimes. It is unbelievable and unimaginable how we can all bond even in this virtual world without knowing one another. There is something to be said about that. Like my favorite writer says, “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof.” - Richard Bach

Glad we have found a family here and each other.

Sandhya13 said: ↑

There are many times like this I feel some connection - sometimes through kids, sometime through nature, sometimes it might be through other objects. But every time it does offer some solace to me.
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You have a precious and a precocious adorable little one! Take her cues, enjoy the life around you and the messages it brings to you. We are all looking for closure one way or another and have to learn to find joy in life.

Thank you Sandhya!

iyerviji · Apr 1, 2022

Heartfelt condolence. He will be always with you guiding you. Your post is very touching and a nice trib6to yourdad Sorry to know you could not be there at that time. It is very difficult when someone dear passes away. I lost my father when I was 20yrs . Felt sad that he was not there when I got married

Recently I lost my husband. Satisfied that he had a peaceful death and we were together for 48 yrs and I was with.him.till he died.
But unable to forget him

Thyagarajan · Apr 1, 2022

iyerviji said: ↑

Satisfied that he had a peaceful death and we were together for 48 yrs and I was with.him.till he died.
But unable to forget him
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Eyes welled up heart heaves.
God Bless.