The way October has fared in our lives has been traumatic to experience. Our mom passed away on the 7th to join three of our family members in heaven. It's different when you lose a mother. The void is bigger and deeper than any you have experienced at any time - a lifetime trauma that will never go away, since she was the backbone of the family. The pain is irrepressible, weighing you down like a ton of bricks, while there is an ache in your heart that feels heavier than any load carried. The heart is an organ that beats to create the most unimaginable emotions in one. However, when it beats to sadness, the world turns sombre, and uplifting yourself from the depths of sadness feels like the hardest task you are burdened with. Sadness is a burden no one wants to shoulder or be part of.
My mother cheated death many times through prayers, grit and perseverance. She was a strong woman, proud and clever, and taught us how to do the same and survive any crises in our own lives. She was a devout Catholic. She taught us how to pray. She taught us that a family sticks together no matter what. We were taught to stand up for one another and support each other when trials come knocking at our door. She lived her life by example.
There was a large crowd who gathered at her wake to pay their last respects, and it was a consoling thought that she was so loved by others. She left an indelible mark on everyone.
She is a very generous woman - helping those financially burdened, feeding friends and family with her best culinary delights at any time of day, and not forgetting the care and love she extends to others wholeheartedly. In short, she was there for anyone needing her kindness in one way or another. Her home was always vibrant, built on love, happiness, and good cheer.
She was an elegantly dressed woman, always maintaining her posture with a touch of a smile - a beauty at any age. At the wake, people remarked how she always smiled despite all. Indeed, she did, even through her pain due to her illness.
She loved her grandchildren fiercely and worried for them just as she did for us when we were growing up and until her last breath. A few days before she died, when we were talking to her, she told us to be united as a family and do right for each other. Then came her great-grandson, who never dimmed the light in her eyes. He made her laugh.
Her love for us was unquestionable, and we, as a family, will carry on her legacy forever.
We love and miss you, Mum.
May Her Soul Rest In Peace and all the souls of the faithful departed. Amen.
-shobana-
Be the Rock, a new poem published on SHOBANA: https://shobanagomes.blogspot.com/2025/10/be-rock.html
