For All Fathers…

“The impermanent has no reality; reality lies in the eternal. Those who have seen the boundary between these two have attained the end of all knowledge. Realize that which pervades the universe and is indestructible; no power can affect this unchanging, imperishable reality. The body is mortal, but he who dwells in the body is immortal and immeasurable.”
-The Bhagavad Gita II.16-18

Why is the relationship between a father and a daughter so special? A father is the only one who sees his daughter as an individual – not as a wife or a mother. After all he is the one who brought her up and is aware of all of her dreams, aspirations and belief system. There are many women who have never had fathers or who lost them when they were very young, the bond is so deep, they also grieve the loss of a paternal figure. I have had my share of paternal love and I have had plenty of it, for which I am eternally grateful.

It has been almost thirteen years since my father passed away and I can honestly say that I have forgotten what it felt like to have that caring person. Losing a parent is a rite of passage. There is a certain wisdom in the eyes of those who have lost a parent. The truth about death has already been unraveled to them. Death is not sorrow or grief, death is final. It is that final goodbye of the physical presence of that being. Of course, the relationship lives on – it is a soul to soul connection, a feeling of having a guardian angel. Prayers become personal when your own parent is in heaven. To grieve the passing of a loved one is not a sign of weakness, but rather an expression of the deep love that exists. Those who have yet to lose parents, visualize death as a missing of that person, like a child misses a blanket. This is far from the truth. It is the transformation of the self and the relationship. Basically, it is the entering of a different phase of your life, without that umbrella of protection. All decisions become your own, which transforms the functioning of the mind and so the cycle of life goes on.

Congratulations to all fathers, who have molded their daughters’ lives, and given them the self-esteem to stand on their own. Congratulations to my own father who left me almost a decade and a half ago, but whose lessons I still remember and cherish. Thank-you for being there for me every time I ardently prayed for my children. They are alive, well and strong because of you and I know that for a fact.

“The Self cannot be pierced by weapons or burned by fire; water cannot wet it; nor can the wind dry it. The Self cannot be pierced or burned, made wet or dry. It is everlasting and infinite, standing on the motionless foundation of eternity. The Self is unmanifested beyond all thought, beyond all change.”
The Bhagavad Gita II.23-25

If the soul lives on, soul to soul connections still exist, and relationships cannot die. I still feel your presence, and I know that you are there. Thank-you for the unique life that you gave me… You are omnipresent… You live in my heart… and I will always… always love you.

Kirti Saran (June the 21st, 2020)