My Angel - SAI
In this world, there is more evil than good, more damage than healing and more hatred than love; how do we survive in such a situation? How do we not get carried away by all the bad that is happening around us? You need someone to guide you. You need someone to hold your hand and take you to the right path.
You need someone to take you into the light, away from the dark tunnels and that someone I found very early in my life. I did find Him, but did not realise that there was a light in my life. You understand the importance of light only when you are in the darkest times. When you have no idea why such times come to you, the only way that you can escape this is to have an angel beside you. A person to constantly tell and guide you on what is right and what is wrong.
Our everyday lives have a morning and a night. We sleep at night in peace because of the Sun’s duty of coming up in the morning. His promise of rising up every day be it in storm or hurricanes, he comes up daily with no leave. The same way for a child, every time he/she makes a mistake, the parents are always by their side to guide them. They get up every morning to make breakfast for us, go to work for eight-ten hours and come back home with a smile, just to pay for our education and so that we can lead a luxurious life. After all this, the least a parent might expect is to give them back some love. Give them a bit of support and understanding to help them pass through any rough patches in life. Well honestly speaking, such realisation never occurred to me until recently. In 2017, during the month of July, I had the opportunity to visit the Hassan Campus. It was a five hour journey by bus and the Sai Hridayam were pretty excited. The first look that I had from the window of the bus when we got there were these 108 small boys lined up wearing white pants and shirts and holding a small rose in their hand. Now you can imagine the scene of the pure white angels holding a rose each for our welcome. We got down from the bus and each of the boys came down and presented us with flowers they were holding and it was just so heartfelt. This was the first time my heart actually cried in happiness over something. I was genuinely smiling from my heart. This brought tears to my eyes. They all greeted us and provided lovely hospitality for us with the biggest smiles on their face. My friend, Sanyukta also traveled with me. She asked the boys, “don’t you miss your parents staying here?” They answered, “No Akka (elder sister), when we have Swami, we don’t have to worry about anything.”
That was my breaking point, to see such small boys in Sixth grade who have so much realization. It was pretty shameful for me, given that our parents give us everything and anything just without us asking and we still cry that we do not have anything or we are not happy. This trip to Hassan changed my perspective of life immensely. I made a best friend, actually no, not a best friend, she is my soul sister. During the three-five days that I spent with her, we connected at a level that I never experienced before. I got to see how there still are people that appreciate life as it is and do not expect anything more. All that they give is Love and that is what they want to spread. Then onwards started my fast-tracked journey in life. Just a few weeks after, I got the opportunity to attend the World Youth Asia Pacific Meet in Malaysia, and the best part for me was to find many like-minded people and get to do Seva for over 200 villagers at the medical camp. Thus, from there on, my Seva activities in Dubai started. With our energetic Youth, we started off Seva to 50 campers and currently the numbers have gone up to 150 campers per week. This led me to a realisation that Seva is my real work. This is what I do best and it makes me happy and this is what I want to be in. You get to make or see a smile on someone’s face every week with Seva. That is what matters to me now. Somehow, in my routine life of university and home, I forgot the essence of spirituality. So My Angel sends me another token of His Love. Swami came in March of this year, 2018, and also with Him were the first batch of Human Excellence Brothers. Sanyukta and I were assigned the task of taking them around the country. The brothers stayed here for two days. One might think two days is just too short to make any kind of impact. But these two days changed my life. These 48 hours introduced me to a new world of Love, Service and Purity. Every moment that we spent with our Brothers, Sanyukta and I, till date discuss about them, miss them and yearn for them to visit us again. The boys, though they have achieved such great heights in spirituality and academics, still remain humble. They still say that we have much more to do and we are learning from our sisters. Our reply for this is, “Well brothers, this is one thing your sisters will not agree with. We have to aim high to become elevated souls like all of you.”
I have always heard that a person stays in your life as long as there is a purpose. They have to fulfill something with you. They have to make you realise something. I never thought it would manifest in my life. On May 14, 2018 I got a call from Sanyukta who was crying “Please go to the hospital next to you, I don’t know what is happening, but I don’t think my mother is well.” I was in complete shock. I went running to the hospital and Usha Aunty was in the emergency ward. I just did not understand anything. Within an hour she was shifted to the ICU and I still did not understand what was happening. The doctor came out of the ICU and informed that Aunty had blood cancer and sepsis and her chances of survival were not good. At this point, my mind went blank and I just froze. Just as I was seeing this, Sanyukta’s dad fell to his knees and started crying. I just could not understand what was happening. Minutes turned to hours, hours turned to days, and Aunty was just there in the ICU. We were there in the waiting room 24/7 with the hope that she would improve. After a few days the doctor informed the family that they have to shift Aunty to another hospital due to lack of infrastructure. I lost my head. I lost any ability to think. Aunty was shifted and her condition was stable without any significant improvement. The day finally came when Aunty left her body. The previous night, all of us as a group slept at the hospital praying and hoping to see her walk through those doors. We got up in the morning and went to get freshened from home and were on our way back to the hospital. Just then a call came that changed my friend’s life forever. Her mother was no more.
From that point on I could not feel my body. I could not feel where I was or what I was doing. All I know was that Sanyukta was screaming and wailing in the back of my car. I jumped from the passenger seat and went to her and hugged her till she stopped shaking. I just could not believe that Aunty left her daughter and went. The rest of the few hours were just the most horrible moments of my life. It was my first time seeing a dead body. As soon I saw Aunty’s body, I fell to the floor. I could not find my balance. All this felt like a very, very bad dream. My dad picked me up and made me stand. I was screaming to the body to come back and stop this joke at once. As time passed, it finally set in that she was no more. I was so mad at her for leaving her daughter and going off. That is when I saw how much a parent is important in someone’s life. I saw that when that person is gone, you wish that you would have spent maybe a minute more with her, the last time you met her. You gave her a hug the last time you met her. But all that is of no use, I understood. We should be able to do all of that right now. Not after the person goes away and regret not spending those moments with them. Do it now, respect them and love them now. Do service for them now. From that day on I did not see my mother and father as my parents. I saw them as my daughter and son that I need to take care of. As my daughter and son that I need to protect and feed. I am born to do service to my parents. This is only with the hope that one day when they decide to leave their body, I have nothing to regret or feel unhappy about. Even through all this terrible pain that Sanyukta was feeling, she never doubted Swami. She never let go of His hands. She never saw Him much lesser. She knew what she was in for and she faced it with grace and bravery. That is what I needed to learn. With whatever minute problems we may have, do not lose faith. Do not lose hope. Be strong and face it with a smile. That is the ultimate test that God takes. That is what He wants to see. He wants to know whether you trust Him or lose faith if there are any troubles. We pass this test and we are a level closer to God.
In the end they say whatever happens, happens for the good. Who else knows what is best for us other than God himself. If he closes one door in your life. He will open a much bigger sized door for you. For that to happen, you need to have patience and gratitude. Wait for His command and do as He says. He will take care of the rest. Saying that, I have tons and tons to learn, tons and tons to do. I hope I get many opportunities to do it.
Service is the best way to realise humility, patience and peace. Hold on to Him and He will always show you the light in the darkest pitches of life.
Qualifications - Fourth year BBA in Aviation Management
Ambition - CFO of a leading company in the aviation market.
Hobbies - Dancing and Cooking
Take on spirituality - service is the path towards spirituality and realisation and I am His instrument to achieve and spread such Love.
Aim in life - Be humble, patient and loving and moreover stop my non-vegetarian diet.
Spurthi Dodda
Region 2, Midde East