Posted in Being Prayerful, Celebrate Today, Life, Love and Blessings, Love You Daddy, Remembering Loved Ones

Celebrating Life and Our Loved Ones

This post is dedicated to celebrating our loved ones and in particular those who have passed on.

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In life you may see it as winning some and losing some but don’t see it as a race or a contest. See it as a journey with lessons that is meant to be lived to the fullest. Things may come unexpectedly and we can all agree that none of us is sure what tomorrow will bring.

Let us look at it like this: Life is a journey and on that journey there are many experiences. Just as people come into our lives so too we enter other people’s lives. Just as we make our entrances and exits so do they and the exits we make or they make are in preparation for a new chapter of the journey. Not all exits are the same and some are understandably harder than others.

The time we spend with each other gives us time to experience and to learn. In essence it gives us time to do good and to be good. It gives us time to learn, time to love, time to make the most of. It gives us time to celebrate the time we share, the opportunities we are given to learn from each other and to create memories while celebrating the opportunity those in our lives have given us to become better and do better.

This being said it is important to live each day as your last, make the most of each moment, do the things you need to do and give it the absolute best that you can. Life is uncertain and unpredictable if you want to call it such so get in the habit of making each moment matter.

Photo Credit: Mandy Hale

If you cannot for one reason or another (such as health or immobility) be thankful for all that you have and all that you have done and keep praying. Celebrate all that you are and all that you have accomplished. Take the time too to celebrate all your loved ones and all they have accomplished and all they stood for.

Photo Credit: loveliveson.com

Though we are taught to accept that when there is birth, death is inevitable, life’s journey may shake us in some unexpected ways. God, regardless of how we refer to Him, is caring, loving and forgiving. He nurtures, He protects and He guides so being angry with Him is not an option. Instead ask Him for courage and strength to deal with your loss. I know it is easier said than done but I maintain that I am no expert and I hold firmly to my belief that you cannot tell someone how to feel if you are not in their shoes.

Grief should not be bottled so don’t bottle it.

Just as you celebrate you, take the time to celebrate the loved ones who have passed on.

Remember their smiles, their words, the love they showered you with and the lessons they taught you. Remember the moments you shared and the impact they have had on your life. Thank God for the time you had together. Ask for peace of mind for yourself and courage to face the realities of what is.

  1. Live without regrets.
  2. Make every moment matter.
  3. Create beautiful memories.
  4. Let go of animosity.
  5. Be true to yourself.
  6. Thank God for every moment.
  7. Trust what you know.
  8. Keep your focus and do what you need to.
  9. Continue to do your duty.
Posted in Happy New Year 2018, Uncategorized

Celebrating Life: Happy New Year 2018!

Happy New Year CEHappy New Year to everyone!

As we bid farewell to 2017 and welcome  2018 I wish you a Bright, Blessed and Happy New Year! I hope we can celebrate 2018 together and take it by celebration after celebration!

By no means do I want to make this a long post but I want it to be a true celebration of good things to come for all of us and a celebration of all that we have overcome in 2017! Let’s promise to take it one day at a time and remember that everytime you feel down this is one place you can visit to find something that may cheer you up or inspire you to continue!

cropped-celebrate-your-existence    each day is a blessing

Celebrating Existence Post

All in all this blog comprises of 81 posts. What is my challenge to you for 2018? Find as many posts on my page that can inspire either you or someone you know. Then share them and make someone’s day better! Whether it is one line or one link if it can make a positive difference please share it.

I urge you once again to  please download SGSPosts for positive and uplifting messages if you have not already done this. It is an app which delivers messages by His Holiness Param Pujya Dr Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji that are based on ‘peace, love,  brotherhood and universal co-existence’ across the world. You can download it using any of these links:

  1. https://bnc.lt/sgsposts
  2. https://itunes.apple.com/tt/app/sgs-posts/id1097382754?mt=8 (For iPhone users)
  3. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.sgsragasagara.sgs_posts  (For Android users)

In closing please enjoy these musical treats:

Allow me also to share what ended 2017 for me on a high note. Below is the link to His Holiness Param Pujya Dr Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji’s Healing and Meditation Concert in Taipei, Taiwan yesterday (Dec 31, 2017). Sri Swamiji’s concert was a Nada Gita Raga Sagara and it was viewed by many Datta devotees the world over. Please remember it is a Healing and Meditation Concert so do not open this link if you are driving, going to drive, operating machinery or about to operate machinery.

https://livestream.com/YogaSangeeta3/dec2017/videos/167806092

Once again everyone Happy New Year 2018! Lots of love from me to each of you now and always!

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized

Celebrating International Day of Families!

Did you know that today is International Day of Families? Indeed it is!

It’s a day to celebrate not just today but everyday as with all other big occasions! Either way let’s do it now and let’s do it together! Ready, set go, let’s begin!

This is one song we can relate you I am sure you will agree! Have fun with it!

Today I celebrate my family! It is through family we learn so many  things and it’s also the people we spend most of our lives with. We are not all blessed with the same experiences but what would be interesting is the answer you might come up with to this question: What does family mean to you?

Allow me to answer it myself- it’s my immediate family, my extended family, my Coromandel Shiv Mandir family, my Dattatreya family, my COSTAATT family as well as those other special people in my life (my close friends). Family means these special people who I enjoy spending time with, who I laugh with, learn from and people who I value!   Family is laughter, support, being there for each other,  sharing moments, creating memories, encouraging each other. It is love and togetherness! It is knowing I am always there for you as best as I can be! It’s letting you know I’m looking out for you!

Truth be told I don’t think your answer would be one specific thing but I think one thing we can all agree on is that family is everything! We laugh, we cry, we talk, at times we disagree, but we love each other and a lot of times we learn from each other. Then there are times when we all realize how much we care about each other and how much every family member means to us!

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In honour of International Family Day remember that Family is Strength!

We would all have different stories to tell! This was something I really enjoyed and I am quite happy to share with you! Please have a look at this video which describes the importance of family in life :

It’s very important not to lose sight of the people in our lives that matter! Live without regrets! Time waits on no one!

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Embrace our opportunities and forever be thankful for our Blessings!

In closing remember this message: Other things may change but we start and end with the family!

family 2Happy International Day of the Family from me and my family to you and your family!

Posted in Uncategorized

Celebrating Existence: Remembering my grandfather- The late Mr. Ramlal Dookie

Today makes it one year since my dear grandfather passed away.  We, his grandchildren, called him Baba!

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A token of our love from all family members of the late Ramlal Dookie

We miss him but we know his pain and suffering are over. Our love for him and the love he showed us is something we will never forget. He is gone but will never be forgotten.

Have a look at this video and listen to this bhajan by His Holiness Dr. Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji:

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So very true!

Here are two pictures I am happy to share:

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This is a picture taken a few months before Baba got more sick and ended up in the hospital. Nanny and Baba had puja and Nanny placed a mala around Baba’s neck and did Aarti for him- October 14, 2014
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My grandparents (Baba- The late Mr Ramlal Dookie and Nanny- Jassodra Celia Dookie) after Puja on 14 October 2014.

I have been thinking of all the things I wanted to share with Baba in this past year- my graduation, my internship, our fishes, our plants etc! He has given us so much memories and now his pain and suffering are no more. That is our comfort and the fact that we have each other!

I called him as often as I could and before marriage he would ask about everyone at home  and after marriage he would always ask, “How the boss?” referring to Shiva. I enjoyed those times when I was able to sing Happy Birthday to him and when I was able to talk to him and spend time with him.

I would always value the time I was able to spend with Baba in his last days at the hospital. Even then we were being taught valuable lessons-every single one of us who was there!

Knowing that when there is birth there is death is a reality we have always been taught but what matters is that we have made the most of the time we had Baba and all our other loved ones in our lives and we keep doing that for all those who are still with us.

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Guidance from the Holy Scriptures is our comfort!

We were fortunate to have Baba, our grandpa, around for the time he was here. He was able to see us all grow up- children and grandchildren. He  was also able to see some of his great grandchildren and each of us has similar memories but also different memories. Either way there are lots of memories for each of us to remember!

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Baba was always a great Devotee. He was always prayerful and continued chanting the name of God in his last moments!

This is a post I wrote  last year to celebrate Baba’s life:

https://rachaelathomas.wordpress.com/2015/03/21/celebrating-the-life-of-mr-ramlal-dookie/

This one captures our gratitude to Level 16 Ward 12 Suite 5 of the San Fernando Teaching Hospital for the high level of care and attention they gave to him.

https://rachaelathomas.wordpress.com/2015/04/12/celebrating-san-fernando-teaching-hospital-level-16-ward-12-suite-5-doctors-nurses-support-staff-on-duty-from-feb-23-2015-mar-19-2015/

Maybe you might also remember this next post!  It captures the relationship my grandparents shared. On the day Baba passed away I had a presentation to do for one of my courses, Critical Analysis of Media and TV Coverage with Mr Roddy Batchasingh at COSTAATT. Baba had passed away in the morning and I had class in the evening. My presentation was dedicated to the bond my grandparents shared and my song of choice was “Thinking out Loud” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQLqu-ThMOY  by Ed Sheeran.

Here is the link to that post:

https://rachaelathomas.wordpress.com/2015/03/21/celebrating-my-grandparents-and-the-bond-they-share/

Gone but not forgotten: The late  Ramlal Dookie: November 14, 1933- March 19, 2015

Father of seven (7) children born to Jassodra Celia Dookie- 6 girls and 1 boy- Doris, Dora, Dolcie, Devi, Jaggs, Bena and Rajdaye, my grandma is the mother-in-law of and my grandpa was the father-in-law of Ranjit, Winston, Fyzal, Sharaz, Hosein, Rosemary and Rajesh.

He was the Brother-in-law of Mynee, Bissondaye (Betty), Bharose, Doodnath, Sita,Vinda and the late Sookraj Ramlakhan (my grandma’s siblings). Grandfather of 15 (Rishi, Savita, me, Adesh, Ria, Ricky, Sarah, Imran, Candice, Premnauth, Susan, Joseph, Josiah, Vincent and Leah), he was also a great grandfather of 5, uncle of Dilip among many others and he was a friend of many.

Apart from loving his family, anyone could associate him with riding his bicycle which he did for many years and with fishing with his seine which he enjoyed a lot.