I have to keep myself off the blog until I finish my writing assignment.
But I can’t stop thinking of Lorene who had to go up north because her incredibly active father slipped on the tennis court and hit his head.
How can our parents be so fragile? After all we put them through - can’t they sustain any injury? A lifetime of inoculations by rowdy adventurous kids and something so innocent as a slip can turn your world upside down.
I was with my mom in the Himalaya Mountains. I begged her to take me to visit all the devi mandirs that we could visit. Years before we had made a journey to Vaishno devi and it’s said that whatever you wish there comes true. And when your wish comes true - you have to return to thank the goddess.
We couldn’t make it back to Vaishno devi because it was closed for snow. That and we were in the north near her village. So instead, I thought it would be the equivalent to visit seven devi mandirs and thank the goddess.
We were near dharamshala and it was raining hard. We tried to see the dalai lama’s temple and chumunda devi temple in one day. As we walked across the wet marble floor, barefoot - my mom was ten yards ahead of me when I saw her fall. The breathe ran out of me and I froze.
She hit the hard marble, and rolled. Rolled to the right, rolled back and grabbed a metal bar to stand again. Because of her recent foray into yoga - she rolled. When she stood, there was nothing but a small bruise on her hip.
But I was already crying. Too freaked out about what could have happened. As she moved ahead of me to the altar - - I put my head to the marble floor and asked Mataji to protect my mother. to keep her healthy and happy for as long as she wanted to be on this earth. I don’t know when we swapped places worrying about each other. It was so subtle a turn. But I put my head to the carpet and ask for your father today Lorene. I’m sure she can hear me from Santa Monica. She is a goddess after all.