Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else........................

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Dec 2, 2014

Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else while you are going through your own storm!

We had experienced this in our life.

In the year 1996 I lost all my jewels which I had purchased little by little through my hard earnings and also given by my mother during my marriage as sridhanam. The previous year only we came to Chennai and settled here after my DH’s retirement. We couldn’t get a locker in our bank and so we kept them in our daughter’s house as she was staying in a flat.

After some time we got a locker in a private company. As we were not sure to get the locker we had not taken the jewels with us. After a few days my daughter told me that she would be going on a holiday trip and we could take the jewels and keep it in the locker.

The next morning my DH told me that he would go to my daughter’s house who was at Kilpauk and keep the valuables in the locker which was at Broadway. I was a bit hesitant because he intended to go by bus. I told him that he could bring them to our house and another day we both will go together and keep it in the locker. He left around 7.30 in the morning and did not return till 1 p.m. At that time we didn’t have a telephone in the house though we had booked the phone in the year 1991 as soon as we performed the house warming ceremony. I had become very much restless and just had a feeling that something bad was going to happen.

Yes, my fear had become reality.
He returned home around 1.30 p.m. and as soon as I opened the door for him, he told me, “Gone! All the jewels were robbed! I lost all the jewels!”

At first I thought just he was joking. Then after looking at his face I knew it was true. Then I immediately asked him whether he lodged a complaint with the police. He told me that he didn’t lodge a complaint because it was futile. Then I asked him whether he told our daughter about it. He told me that he didn’t tell her.

I asked him how he lost the jewels. He told me that after taking the jewels from my daughter, he kept the box in his valet. He put the valet in a bag and also on top of it jack fruit given by our daughter. Then he boarded a bus to go to Broadway where we had the locker. All along he was just clutching the bag at his chest very carefully and entered the finance company where we got our locker. The manager told him that the bag was cut. When he opened the bag he found the jewel box missing.

He was in a bizarre state and couldn’t think clearly. He returned home straight from there.. I could not find words to describe my feelings. But some how I gathered my wits and told him that we both would go to our daughter’s house and then decide what to do. So we went to our daughter’s house. She was also very much shocked to hear the news. But she preferred to give a police complaint. She took him to the Kilpauk police station to file an F.I.R. But at first they refused to register the complaint telling that he lost the jewels after boarding the bus and so it didn’t come under their jurisdiction. But our daughter pleaded with him and succeeded in filing the F.I.R. After returning home my DH’s condition was very bad. Neither he could eat anything nor could he get sleep. My daughter called the doctor who was staying in the same apartment examined him and gave him an injection to sleep.

The next day we returned home and wrote letters to our sons. The elder one was at US and the younger one was at Bangalore. He came with our d-i-l to show their moral support in our distress. Except our immediate family we didn’t tell anyone about our loss. My mother would have had a great shock and even would have died as she was in her nineties. My sister was very close to me and I didn’t want to give her also a great shock.

Within a week my sister’s daughter and brother’s daughter had house warming ceremony and we attended the ceremony and blessed them without revealing our loss. My mother and all other relatives also attended the function. We entertained two of our Jamshedpur friends also when they came to see us.

As state election was held within a week of this incident all police personnel were busy and so no immediate action was taken. Hence we lost all hopes though we were enquiring on and off.

Later my DH told me that while he was travelling in the bus on the fateful day he heard two persons talking. One was telling that one of his friends lost a heavy amount of money and fearing to meet his family he committed suicide. When he found the jewels gone he was also having the same mentality and thought of going to beach as it was nearer to the place and drown himself. Then he heard another voice telling him how he could think like that to leave his beloved wife to face a tragedy like that.

When I heard this I thanked the Lord profusely for saving me from a great tragedy. I never used to give importance to material things.

I am sharing this in the belief that people should not give importance to material things. Even before this incident also our suitcase containing costly silk saris and some jewels was stolen in Brindavan express while we were returning to Bangalore after attending a marriage at Chennai.

Leave alone these material things, my hubby himself was kidnapped during another visit and by God’s Grace was released safe and sound. This also I have written in a snippet long back.

I have given the link.

http://www.indusladies.com/forums/s...ction/8742-my-beloved-hubby-was-kidnpped.html

So many incidents like this happened in our life as in serials and movies. I have shared many of them so that people could face life with courage.

jayasala42 · Dec 2, 2014

Re: Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else....................

Dear Pushpa,
Very sad to hear of your experiences.I admire your courage in facing those problems. It is not important how many times we fall, but it is certainly important how we get up each time.There is not a single family which has not witnessed unhappy events-Some might have faced thefts, deaths of one's own children or life partner or a major ailment, or loss of job or marital disharmony.
Some get depressed. Some look seemingly bold and manage.
It is a wonder, people with very average intelligence and abilities do manage the situation better than the so called smart intellectuals.
One of my sisters was good in domestic duties and was some what a slow learner. She could not even pass her 8th Std.She had some difficulty in quick grasp.
When she lost her married daughter ,just 28, in an accident, all of us were shocked. We thought my sister will be unconsolable.
Contrary to our expectation she was extremely calm and accepted the reality very soon and started looking after the twin babies just 21 days old and the older one 2years old.
When situations go beyond control, God gives them sufficient strength to come to terms with the bitter truth.
Another sister of mine lost all her five sons a few months after birth due to some problem or other.The 5th child died when he was 20 months old on a Tuesday. there were just 3 days more for another sister's wedding which was to be celebrated on Sunday.Having lost all her children she was unconsolable and was talking of committing suicide etc. Actually nobody had time to console her even.Thursday was 'Pandal Kal.
During those days marriage was conducted not in halls , only at home with a pandal erected covering four houses.
On Saturday every one was making preparation to go to temple for Janavasam.Amma hesitated to leave my sister alone at home lest she tries to jump into the well. Surprisingly my sister wore a nice pattu saree, followed the janavasa procession without expressing her grief. To hide her grief next day she only did all alankarams to the bride.
Two days after the wedding, after all the guests left, she wept uncontrollably.
Every family has many many shocking events .
Thank you for sharing, Pushpa.
Jayasala 42

Cheeniya · Dec 3, 2014

Re: Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else....................

My dear PS
I am sorry to hear of the shocking events in your life. But I am totally with my good friend jayasala that no family on earth escapes pitfalls such as what you have narrated. No life can be an absolute bed of roses. Don't you know that the most exquisite jewellery of gold has to go through some very painful processes? The ups and downs of life do not spare even the gods. You are an ardent devotee of Lord Rama. Did He not lose His wife to a vicious villain? Take any scriptures and you will find more of such sordid tales. They are all meant to give us a lot of mental strength.

I read Sundara Kandam every day. Just before Hanuman meets Sita in the Ashoka vana, she contemplates even suicide unable to bear the tantrums thrown by Ravana. Draupathi faced a fate worse than death through her own husband's lack of scruples. We can go on adding to the list. Just a little over a decade back, I was cheated by my business partner and lost all my life's savings. I felt stripped to the bone. A very personal friend of mine and a well-wisher would keep telling me that 'This too shall pass'. Pass it did and now I am back again in the clouds. We have read about the horrible accident that jayasala's dear husband met with during his career and how she helped him to regain his health.

It is my firm view that at the end of the day, if we take stock of our blessings and pitfalls, our blessings would certainly be more. But many of us do not see it that way as we find it difficult to put our past miseries out of our mind. Life can never be unfair to any one if we live it in tune with the codes of conduct laid down for our pursuit by our traditions and culture.
Sri

VaniVyas · Dec 3, 2014

Re: Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else....................

OOPS, madam,

I should not have given a like here.

I meant to tell u a sorry for whatever has happened. I was reading very fast to check if some miracle happened and u got back all your jewels. But sorry for this state.

May God give you the courage to face this incident and I also pray to him that these things should not happen with any one.

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Dec 3, 2014

Re: Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else....................

Dear Jaya,
Thanks for devoting time at late night and posting the first fb.
You have also fought bravely against all odds in getting your beloved husband back to normal after the accident.
I very much admire your sister for joining the janavasam in spite of ter terrible bereavement. Loosing five children is a terrible thing.
your other sister who lost her daughter also is commendable for taking care of her grandchildren controlling her grief.

Educational qualification has nothing to do in tackling life's problems. Nowadays daily we read in the news highly educated people committing suicide.

only through sharing we come to know about the problems went through by other people.

Thanks for sharing the incidents happened in your family.

PS

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Dec 3, 2014

Re: Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else....................

Dear Mr Cheeniya,
It is true that each one had to go through very tough times in life . As you have said even Lord Rama and Sita had their trying times in their life.

At the end of the day after all the turbulent days were crossed over through Lord's Grace and blessings Now I can happily sing the song " kurai onrumillai Marai murthy Kanna."
Just waiting for the Divine call when the going is good.

Sorry to hear that you were cheated by your business partner.

Thank you for being here and sharing your good thoughts,

PS

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Dec 3, 2014

Re: Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else....................

Dear VaniVyas,
I don't find anything wrong in pressing the like button because I am not a person to worry on bygone miseries. I just wanted to share these incidents just to face life with courage.

As and when it happened the initial shock was there. But as time passes we get over the pain and move on. Nothing or no one is indispensable is the real truth of life. But many people keep on worrying.

PS

Kamla · Dec 3, 2014

Re: Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else....................

Dear Pushpa ma'm'

Just yesterday night before I went to bed did I reply to two posts here which talked about why we like to be in IL. Reading your post this morning confirms my belief as to why I am here. 'Birds of a feather flock together'!

I am so glad that I read this for at this moment where I am going through some difficult times that life has thrown at us, it comes as a comforting thought that Everyone goes through difficulties and somehow come through it.

It is especially hard to lose life's savings and jewels and such material protection that man works for all his life at one's twilight years. It is difficult at any stage of life I guess, but doubly so when one has no more prospects to earn a living. One may make light of it saying after all it is only materialistic possession. But all of us in reality know that it does matter. The sweat, the memories and the happiness in acquiring life's hard earned presents cannot be negated. It is not only material things, even the intangible stuff like self respect, pride and reputation at times are put at stake for no fault of the person. Now that is just as bad and more hurtful than material possessions, anyone will agree.

I am glad I am in the august company of people like you, Jayasala, Cheeniya and take consolation and comfort in the fact that hardships happen to us for who else can it happen to?!! Hope that makes sense somehow!! It makes total sense to me as to why exactly I am in IL. Such words, comfort and thoughts can only be shared in our family of IL.

All the best to you ma'm! How true that things could have been even worse. Thank God that both you and your husband have come through it and are sharing this with us so it could be a reference for others to learn from.

L, Kamla

parineetha · Dec 3, 2014

Re: Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else....................

Dear Pushpa Mam

So sorry about all the terrible incidents that you’ve gone through.
A loss is a loss. No amount of consoling words can make up for those traumatic days.
Such testing times crash our hopes, drain our beliefs and we start questioning the existence of God.
But you emerging strong at the end speaks so loud of your character and unflinching strength in self and God.
Really inspiring to see you holding on to trust and conviction when it mattered the most.

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Dec 4, 2014

Re: Your greatest test is when you are able to bless someone else....................

Dear Kamla,
Thanks for dropping in and gracing my post with your sweet feedback. Along with old members of IL ( By old I mean not age, but members who joined IL at initial stage) you had also encouraged me time and again with your fbs till date.
I am very much indebted to all those who encouraged me with their fbs and continuous support.IL was the first social forum I have joined and I got the opportunity to learn and enhance my knowledge by reading posts of stalwarts like Mr Cheeniya, Chitvish and now Jaya and Viswamitra, our beloved Viji and also the many youngsters who had joined recently.
I am also enjoying the fun filled write ups of Kamalji, Balaji, GG and others.
You and Mr Cheeniya had taken the great responsibility of managing the FP of IL which is a very tough and time consuming task.

Hats off to all the moderators and cheer leaders also who are doing a wonderful service.

Once again thanks a lot,

PS