Ansooya Rajgopaul – A Tribute.
By Rummuser. Filed in Nostalgia, People, Relationships |Tags: Family
To the left is the apple of the eyes of the Rajgopauls, my sister Padmini who many of my readers would know from some of her comments on my posts. To the right is our mother, the late Ansooya Rajgopaul, who left us ten years ago. Had she been alive, today would have been her 87th birthday and this is a tribute from her four children, grand children and great grand children, who hope that she will read this wherever she is.
She was the cement that made the four of us and all her grandchildren what we are today. A close knit and loving family despite distances separating us. Thanks to modern communication methods, though we are not physically next to each other, we are all in touch and meet as often as we can to just be together. Had she been alive, perhaps, today we would have all gathered somewhere to celebrate her birthday.
May she bless her children, grandchildren and great grand children, none of the last of who she ever got to see.
Monday, November 30th 2009 at 21:05 |
This is a lovely post. And that was a boring comment.
You stuck 2 blogs after the Shave or Not To… post, where there were very interesting comments from Ursula & Murphy. And you closed the comments so there’s no chance for them to kiss & make up.
Rummuser Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 21:24
I have not closed any comments on shave or not to shave! Ursula and Murphy can continue battling or kiss and make up as they see fit in that post, its sequence II or in any one of my newer posts. I have simply stated that the decision is to keep the beard!
Ursula Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 00:58
Bike Hike Babe, my soul mate, (since Ramana’s post is about his mother he won’t mind my taking this opportunity to reveal that you and my mother are virtually the same age – her 23 Feb to your 13 March of the same year – not that, unlike you, she would go anywhere near a computer).
I am afraid both your and Ramana’s hopes of any reconciliation between me and Murphy are out of the question. I kiss few people and make up is between me and my mirror. Actually, BHB, that’s one of the advantages of very young age and advancing years: Less is more when it comes to slap. Anyway, mustn’t get sidetracked. Murphy is history as far as I am concerned. Which is a pretty damning statement since all my friends and family will attest that, as volatile as I am, I am the most forgiving person ever. Five minutes later I usually can’t even recall what the original argument was about. Neither is detail of who said what of any interest to me. So much water down a duck’s back.
However, every so often, even I pull up the draw bridge. The very idea of kissing Murphy is revolting unless he turns out to be Johnny Depp in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ (yes, I do admit to liking men with more than a hint of mascara, long locks, frilly shirts and trilbies).
Why am I taking such a hard line with poor old Murphy? Without exploding the boundaries of dear sweet Ramana’s blog I can’t go into detail. Enough said.
Hugs and kisses,
U
gaelikaa Reply:
December 2nd, 2009 at 12:49
Dear Ursula, I don’t have your email, I can’t access your profile on Blogger, which is the way I get email ids of bloggers and commenters. You’re most welcome to email me any time. You’ll get my id on my profile page in Blogger. Near my photo on my blog, you can click on the phrase ‘view my complete profile’ You’ll be able to get my email id from there. When you mail me, I’ll note your id. Sometimes my Facebook badge appears on my diary blog (when it bothers to load!) There’s an email ID there too. Judging by your comment above, it seems you’d be right at home in the Regency era, egad!
Fond regards,
Maria
Monday, November 30th 2009 at 21:15 |
Ramana, Feedback: “Your edit your comment” didn’t work. I said “2 blogs” & tried to change that to ’2 posts’.
Rummuser Reply:
November 30th, 2009 at 21:22
Sorry about that BHB, it was set for only five minutes from first comment. I have now changed it to twenty minutes so that you can have more time to edit after commenting. Please try again and let me know if it works now for you.
Monday, November 30th 2009 at 23:17 |
Oh how lovely. What a kind, lovely woman she looks too. A fitting tribute indeed. x
Tuesday, December 1st 2009 at 00:27 |
Ramana, your mother has grace (as in ‘elegance’). I am sure that she is flashing that so very attractive big smile of hers at you, right now.
U
Tuesday, December 1st 2009 at 00:33 |
Another heart-warming post. Thank you. It reminds me of the Dalai Lama saying mothers are the greatest teachers in the world…they teach us how to love.
Tuesday, December 1st 2009 at 01:29 |
Cheerful Monk,
How true what you say about mothers. In our case, she taught us more than how to love, she taught us how to bear life’s vicissitudes and still smile that warm wonderful smile of hers to such an extent that my ex-father-in law (my first wife’s father) who was a Scott, nicknamed her sunshine and never called her by any other name to the day he died.She also taught me that looking at people is like looking in the mirror, if you smile at the mirror, it smiles back at you and if you frown, it frowns back. How well i learnt that lesson!!!
Tuesday, December 1st 2009 at 01:32 |
Ramana,
Amma sees her great grandchildren, all of them, trust me!!
Tuesday, December 1st 2009 at 03:38 |
What wonderful eyes your mother had Ramana. She was a real beauty.
Padmini I feel I know both from her contribution to my blog and her comments both here on your blog and on mine.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful family tribute with all of us.
Tuesday, December 1st 2009 at 06:35 |
Rummuser, I am not Johny Depp. I am more like Telly Savallas. So, I will let it slide. I am touched by this post. Honestly, I dont know how to comment on such a post.
You have some awesome readers. I also will join them and comment like them. I am sorry if I caused you, I mean you, any offense. I did not want to. I like the way you have kept quiet in all this.
Ursula Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 08:10
Murphy, so you do have a soft side. How sweet. I shall not rub salt into your wound by expounding on the merits of doing a ‘U-turn’.
Obviously I am disappointed that you are not JD in drag but my mother used to be very fond of Telly Savallas (and Tom Jones) if that is any comfort to you. As a peace offering I could always blow you an air kiss – we wouldn’t need to touch.
You are quite right about Ramana: Some people are born diplomats, and you, Ramana, have that touch of accommodating the most diverse under the same roof without all hell breaking loose. It’s a gift.
U
Rummuser Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 13:10
Could it also be stoicism?
Rummuser Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 13:13
I do not take offense easily Murphy. Don’t fret. I am glad that you were touched by the post. For the four of us she stood for a great deal more than just what mothers normally do for their children. When the time is right, I shall post about her in greater detail. Another one of my unsung heroes!
Tuesday, December 1st 2009 at 10:48 |
A short and sweet tribute. A nice post indeed!
Rummuser Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 13:10
Thank you Anu. My mother too was called Anu by her friends and family! Short for Ansooya. You must be either Ansooya/Anusuya or Anuradha! Am I right? Anasuya to transliterate the Sanskrit name was a magnificent portrayal of a virtuous woman. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dattatreya
Anu Reply:
December 3rd, 2009 at 08:50
Its Anuradha. I was named that by my paternal grandmother after the Nakshatra(star), Anusham that I was born under.
Thanks for the link. That was a very interesting read! I sure enjoyed reading it.
Tuesday, December 1st 2009 at 13:47 |
Clearly some very fond memories, that’s good to know. And yes, it’s always a shame that people don’t live to see more of their expanding family.
Tuesday, December 1st 2009 at 15:01 |
Lovely picture and article. I wish I had been able to spend more time with her and get to know her better over the course of my life.
xxx
Rummuser Reply:
December 1st, 2009 at 21:19
You can make up your mind to do that with me and I shall tell you all about her as well as my many adventures including the prison experience!
Tuesday, December 1st 2009 at 17:28 |
Lovely ladies! I see why you are so very “proud” of them.
Sound the TRUMPETS!
Tuesday, December 1st 2009 at 22:05 |
Lovely tribute! My mother passed on 25 years ago but still lives on in my heart.
Wednesday, December 2nd 2009 at 12:08 |
I too lost my mother ten years ago of cancer. Before that she tried to get me to study and go to college. I never did and joined the navy instead. I feel sorry I did not listen to her. I do not have apples of the eyes in my family to write like you write about your sister. I wish I had one, but that is not in my hand anyways. I hope someone will write about me when I am dead like this.
Ursula Reply:
December 2nd, 2009 at 13:27
Well, Murphy. You have done it now, and don’t blame me for the consequences: You have touched my heart and my motherly/older sister instincts which, unfortunately, are always alert and yielding.
As trite as it sounds (and is): We all loose mothers along the way. I still have mine, but the woman (my grandmother) who brought me up the first few years of my life died early on and the decades have made little difference to my grief.
Don’t worry whether you fulfilled your mother’s wishes. Mothers – on the whole (unlike fathers) – couldn’t care less what their children do as long as their offspring is happy. Nothing wrong with the Navy.
You say you don’t have apples of your eyes in your immediate family. Sometimes we should cast our net wider: Cousins are always a good second bet to squabbling siblings. And even if not tied by blood – friends can be the best.
Take heart, Murphy. You sound so young and a little forlorn. Grasp life’s stinging nettle by its stem and there will be an affectionate tribute to you when the time comes. Nuisance being that you’ll be the only one who won’t be able to hear it six foot under.
Affectionately,
U
Rummuser Reply:
December 6th, 2009 at 16:04
Murphy, I am touched. Let me quote something and then take you to another of my posts. “Those who don’t know how to weep with their whole heart, don’t know how to laugh either.” – Golda Meir.
If there ever was a Mother figure, that was Golda Meir. What a personality!
Losing a mother is catharsis. The umblical cord is finally cut and you have to start a life without that one strong tie. I read between the lines and can understand your sorrow. I share it with you.
I cry at the drop of a heart. I laugh at just about everything in life and just about at everything that it throws at me. You don’t belive me, you must read my post of July this year on Ambition. (http://rummuser.com/?p=1494)
It is wonderful to have a sister but not to have one is no big deal. It is wonderful to have a daughter. Ask my friend Conrad. (http://www.levintel.com/2009/12/04/the-proud-papa/) I don’t have one. I have offered to swap my son with his daughter. Being the diplomat that he is, he refused to respond to my offer.
Let me make you an offer. I do not know how old you are. Depending on that you can have me for your apple of the eye as brother, father, grandfather or friend or whatever. Only one condition. You must cry often and laugh a great deal more.
Monday, December 7th 2009 at 09:44 |
Man, you write some fancy stuff. I have difficulty understanding what you say but in the end, it is clear. I liked the other post with the ladder going nowhere. It is like my life except that things dont ‘happen’ to me. Anyways, thanks for the reply. I will try to cry and laugh.
Wednesday, December 9th 2009 at 18:13 |
I like it when you do posts like this – a further insight – your mother looked a happy person….. its good to remember!!!