to Kamala about story of pure love

[Guest guest]

Dear Kamala ~ How wonderful for you to share this story in the Digest on the same day that we remember Durga as Shailaputri (Goddess of Inspiration). You've inspired me with this true story of how a simple act can convey a wealth of pure love.

 

Sometimes I think it is mainly the big things I might do that express my love for someone. But I have always known that the small details are even more important, because it is in these quiet or seemingly small actions that pure love is even more stirringly revealed. I have been working to see these small acts on the part of my husband in this way, partly because he is not one given to large gestures, yet I have no doubt of his pure love. For my part, I seek small ways to show him my pure love. These are done mostly in silence, usually when he is absent (like going to the grocery store, and I wash a load of dishes), sometimes in overt but small gestures, like kidding around with him in a loving way.

 

And yes, for me, doing a load of dishes actually pretty much of a big deal. Simple things like this that I used to take for granted are harder and harder to do because of my illnesses, so I look for small ways to show David how much I love and appreciate him. Sometimes my simple acts are so small as to just be putting water in our dog's water bowl. I think he doesn't notice, but often, after awhile, he will say something, and I will know he has received my gesture.

 

And how wonderful that you were able to take this experience with Maa and apply it in your relationship with your daughter. Thank you again for sharing this inspirational story of being with Maa. Jai Maa!!!! Jai Swamiji !!!!

~ Linda

 

Kamala wrote:

 

Many thanks to all of you who have taken time to churn and discern how to give AND receive pure love. May I share with you a moment in time which happened several years ago now here at Devi Mandir? At that time I was struggling with the challenge of raising a fifteen-year old who was going through their normal adolescent rebellion. I was beside myself to find the patience and a way to nurture a sense of closeness that we'd once had. One Saturday when I had come to the Mandir to do some seva, Shree Maa called me into her small trailer beside the creek on the Napa property, on the guise of teaching me how to make cauliflower/ ginger parathas. After asking me how my daughter and I were getting along, Maa proceeded on to the cooking lesson of preparing the chappati dough and shredding the ginger and cauliflower. After rolling-out a few lop-sided chappatis, I finally managed the technique and produced a round one with the proper amount of ingredients inside and proceeded to fry it with a little ghee. When Maa saw that I got the hang of it, she then took over the frying position and told me to sit down right there on the floor of her small kitchen and eat one paratha which she had just fried. Just when I took the first bite of her offering, to my surprise, tears started flowing down my face. I was actually" tasting" Shree Maa's pure love in a way that I had never experienced before. There were no words between us for some period of time. In that space of silence Maa was entering my heart, and filling me with her simple and high wisdom of how to nurture my child even through the difficult periods. My daughter was a vegetarian, and considered it a real treat to go out for Indian food. Now I had a way to transmit my love to her in the simple making of a meal, and through so many other of the small things we did everyday. This Spring Navaratri marks the seventeenth anniversary of my initiation with Shree Maa as my spiritual "Mom" and "Guru". A thousand pranams and thank you, Maa, for this teaching on Pure Love, and so many other lessons you have taught me. I pray that I will be worthy of many more. A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!