The last few weeks have been difficult in so many ways.
Someday, I will write about what was happening in India’s border towns.
But the incident in my friend’s life took over everything. The grief of losing a child changes not only the parents but also those around them.
A brilliant, charming, polite, and amazing kid left the world too soon. No one has words for the parents.
Sometimes, we need to find the strength to stand and honor the legacy of someone who’s gone. I can’t even imagine it, but the parents’ love for their child made them stronger. They spoke eloquently and lovingly about their only son — about their determination to honor his legacy, his vibrant nature, and his wonderful personality. They are making sure people remember him that way. They are turning their grief to their strength.
The whole community stood beside them. I don’t remember ever seeing so many people standing in line — hundreds patiently waited just to give them a hug and pay tribute.
A week later, we gathered again for prayers. Maybe spirituality or the holy book holds the answers to the questions we keep asking — why, and why.
Sitting there, listening to the chanting, cooking, cleaning, and serving in the gurudwara might have brought some comfort that evening.
Maybe it’s by leaning on each other — in silence, in prayer, and in presence — that this shared strength carries us through.
Simple Mangalgiri cotton to a meet.
