There are moments in your life you know you will remember forever
There are books you put down knowing you’ve changed
There are people that you meet, people you know that MAKE you. You would not be the same you if you hadn’t met them.
Today is a sad day. My school history teacher passed away. And I am so far away from anybody who will understand how sad this is.
Its strange. There is comfort is knowing that that somebody is there SOMEWHERE in this world, even if you never meet them again. And to know they are gone is comfort removed from a strange place…
A close friend who wrote to me telling me about this is about to go to Japan for 5 years to do a PHD in Japanese, another close friend who I wrote about this to is doing her PHD in history, all my closest friends are from my school are out there somewhere still studying… I am here, so far away from the world I know and love, to study. And I KNOW that Chitra Ma’am probably changed the course of all our lives.
4 comments:
I remember you once saying that she made a decision not to teach in a college, though she was very well qualified to. She, too, wanted to be with younger people who, because of her, might grow to understand and love history.
So I guess she shaped me too. Freed me from thinking only in terms of adults. Hers was a brighter world.
Shony: your father thinks you should send what you've written to Chitra Ma'am's family.
What he said was: 'don't add a word, don't subtract a word.'
hey, i went to Chitra maam's prayer meeting in SPV today...hope this helps to sooze the big loss u r facing today
Dear Shivani,
I am Chitra Ma’am’s brother.
Thank you so much for the beautiful sentiments that you have expressed. We have been searching the net these past 2 weeks looking for such blog entries for it is in this expression of love for your dear Chitra Ma’am that we look for solace and comfort.
Her sudden passing away has left us all devastated but you her “children” have certainly been a source of strength for us. We found strength in the dignified assembly of her grieving young students who turned up for her cremation and who waited patiently as the last rites were slightly delayed awaiting the arrival of some family members, thankful it seemed for the few extra moments with their beloved Chitra Ma’am. We found strength in the spontaneous outpouring of love and affection for her at the memorial service held at SPV. And every day we find strength in reading blogs like this one – it seems every other day a new one of these shows up.
You probably do not need me to tell you this but you were all very special to her and she was very proud of every one of you and every one of your accomplishments. When the priest who was to do the final ceremonies in Bangalore asked me if she had any children, I found myself telling him yes, she had hundreds of them.
Thanks again for writing about her. I do have request of you. Please keep this blog intact for as long as you can for this is something to be treasured. Some of us will surely come back to visit it on a future day, reread these words and be filled with a sense of joy and a celebration of her life instead of the sadness and despair we feel today at our loss.
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