13-10-2020
The last few days have been cloudy ones, it was raining at night and early in the mornings. But today morning we woke to the sound rain pouring down furiously. It rained the whole day as if we were in the middle of the monsoon season instead of being at the end of it. It stopped by evening. We read this is due to low pressure in the Bay of Bengal. But whatever the reason everything is unusual this year.

Saturday morning I talked with my cousin, he said Doddamma is not at all well. She has not been well for a month and most of the time could not connect with people around her. Till then I used to write to her. She passed away Sunday afternoon at the age of 89. Sujata told me Doddamma had taken bath and listened to Vishnu Sahasranama. She asked whether the morning puja was over. Sujata said yes and Doddamma took a deep breath and it was her last one. I loved her very much, that is why I wrote to her every week for nearly three years. She will always be a part of my life.
She and my mother were very close to each other. Due to some reason or the other my mother could not go to Bombay to be with Doddamma. She was planning to go this year in March and corona happened. In 1963 my father suffered from spinal TB and was in the hospital in Bombay for a year. I was jus one and my brother three years. We all lived with my Doddappa and Doddamma for a year. My mother was only 22, she was very worried about my father and we were so small. My grandfather was in the hospital from morning to night. My father learned tatting from a nurse 😊 , he taught it to me. But I have not tatted for a long time. My Doddamma looked after all of us with so much love that my mother believes that this life is not enough to repay her.
Sunday morning, I had prayed to God to take her as she was suffering so much. I felt that I should not have done that. Then my cousin, her daughter, told me not to worry because she too had prayed to God to end her mother’s suffering. She told me her mother left because her time had come.
We all have to go when our time comes and that is not in our hands. She will always be a part of my life.


( Doddappa and Doddamma)
Depression over Bay of Bengal delays withdrawal of monsoon: IMD https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/trends/depression-over-bay-of…
https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/stinging-caterpillars-nd-poisonous-news-900275.html
https://www.deccanherald.com/opinion/the-pitfalls-of-polarisation-900276.html
So sorry to hear your bad news, but I’m sure you have such lovely memories to keep forever.
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Yes Billy. Thank you.
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I am so sorry for your loss Lakshmi. She was a very beautiful lady and obviously very dear to all of her family and friends. You will miss her, but have many happy memories to recall.
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Thank you Peter.
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So sorry for your loss. I am also sad to hear of her passing. She sounds like she was a wonderful person. Thank you for sharing your stories about her and those you told her as well. I feel lucky to have read them.
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Thank you Todd.
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So sorry for your loss. Cherish the memories, 🤗
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Thank you Kim.
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Sad to read about your Doddama’s passing. As your cousins said, her time had come. I hope you will continue your blog. SAN
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Yes San I will. And thank you.
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My condolences on the passing of your Doddamma. She seems to have known that it was her time. She leaves behind her a lot of people who loved her and she gave them a lot of her own love. Not everyone can say that!
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My commiserations for your loss. Please don’t continue to feel bad about your prayers.
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Thank you Derrick, my cousin too told me the same.
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A sad news indeed but at least she is free from her sufferings. My sincere condolenses.
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Thank you Rupali.
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Mothers are precious, Mine left 5 years ago with much pain but welcoming heaven. There is never a good time to lose mom, so sorry for your loss.
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Yes, mothers are precious. Doddamma is my father’s elder brother’s wife. Doddamma literally means ‘ elder mother’. I used to write letters to her every week for three years. My Slice of life posts were the edited versions of those letters. Thank you.
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I am very sad to learn that she died. I treasured the letters that you sent to her each week since I learned so much about life in your part of the world from them. I am glad that she passed so gracefully.
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Thank you Elizabeth.
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I wish there was a magic button we could push when we are ready to go. I am very sorry for you loss.
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Yes. Thank you.
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It is a hard balance. Should I pray to God to take her or should I pray to God to keep her? Or should I leave it to God to decide? I think we should let God decide.
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That is so sad, but as you say God was merciful and took her away from her earthly suffering. Please accept my condolences.
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Thank you Gigi.
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