TREE2017

GOLDEN TREE

AS I walk past her picture, I am flooded by a sea of memories .There are no beginnings and endings as the timeline is a lifetime. This triggers chaos that chokes me with an overwhelming sense of grief. I lose control as the void manifests itself as big hole which is now oozing with pain..

Sometimes I feel like I am leading two lives. There are times when I feel everything is alright but then again there are others when the heart screams in pain.  Didi had been sick for two and a half years battling her cancer with fortitude and dignity.. No amount of reading books and spiritual texts or trying to understand death could prepare me to face this ultimate reality..Among all the stories that we shared her story of the  tree of life are most embedded in my psyche. My sister loved nature and took great pride in her garden .She had given me cuttings of the pomegranate tree..Today I am taking the young pomegranate plants out of their safe haven and putting it in the ground near my bedroom window. I AM also planting her beloved Amaltas or the golden shower tree as it is also called…AS  my trees grow taller stronger and grander, I will take pleasure and comfort in their presence. When my Amaltas tree is covered by clusters of uncountable delicate flowers, my darling sister will shine through these bright and profuse blossoms…WHEN the wind will rustle through the delicate buds of the pomegranate flowers I will hear my sister’s laughter and feel her smile as they bloom.

THESE trees that we plant in the memory of our loved ones are an instant connect with them and our creator reminding us of their presence through the ongoing process of creation….  I DO believe in the power of rituals …Rituals are there in all societies to help cope with grief and loss. The ritual of planting a tree is for me like getting my own personal memorial, a physical location to which we can grieve and meditate…. AS we perpetuate life and legacy we shift the focus from death to a true celebration of their life.

I hope I have inspired some of you to plant trees in your garden or a nearby park in the memory of a dear departed. BY planting a tree in my sister’s memory I can feel her living presence. IT has also helped me to bring closure and find solace. TILL we meet again in cyberspace……………