Another young life …. gone

On April 26th, just a couple of hours before the news came, her sister Vidya and I were chatting about the new house that she has bought and the fact that I won’t be able to join for the “grihapravesham” that was to happen today. Then Pavithra called to say Vaidegi’s husband had passed away suddenly. Unbelievably tragic news. He was just 34 !!!

I don’t know how to offer solace to my young cousin. Their daughter is 14 months old. All the answers fail, all knowledge and wisdom is blanked out when such a sudden bereavement happens. While death is a reality and everyone and everything that is alive, dies some day, but death at such a young age is unacceptable. What words of solace can you offer?

We can discuss all about the red flags that he ignored and talk about the fact that he himself was a 15 month old baby when he lost his mother and marvel at the coincidence that he passed away on the same day as his father had …. but none of it helps Vaidegi or their daughter. While the child is more resilient and will learn to cope up and Vaidegi has all of us rallying around her for support – its just heart rending to even think about it.

In the book called “Journey of the souls” by Dr. Michael Newton, it seems as though the soul decides when to leave a life, which means people die when they choose to die. So its not luck or timing or any such thing, but in the constant Karmic cycle of life and death – each of us chooses a certain life and decide when we want to die. Its a liberating thought because it means our loved one left when they wanted to and it wasn’t any super power that struck them down. The book also talks of soul clusters and how the afterlife is like going home during school vacations ! You review the life that you just lived and then prepare for new experiences in the next life. All the naysayers will scoff at all this calling it mumbo-jumbo but well physicists are now discovering the soul.

I like to think of life as a experiential lab with the opportunity to learn more about myself and death as a revolving door. When my lessons in this life are complete and the purpose fulfilled, I will take a break and then come back with a new purpose and new lessons to learn.

My dear cousin has chosen the toughest lesson in this life … all of us can only pray that life grants her the strength to face this bereavement and move ahead.

May Seshadri’s soul find “Aachaaryan Thiruvadi”. Condolences Vaidegi.