Mother and Me

The Mother’s Gift

It is a usual custom in all cultures and societies to give gifts to the young with love. As a matter of fact, gifts are usually exchanged on many occasions.

We often used to talk about the Mother at home. So once our children — I have four daughters who were then between 4–12 years old — wanted to receive her Darshan. As you know, the Mother was ever-obliging to children, irrespective of their age.

So one evening was fixed for their visit and I was told to bring them to her room. All of them were excited. They had never seen the Mother from so close. They actually wanted to touch her. Well, at the appointed time, we were ushered into her room. She was in such a jovial mood that day that her smile could be felt in the entire room. Everyone was smiling. One by one, our four daughters did pranaam at her feet and she blessed each one individually. The Mother then asked them to pick up one of the animal toys that adorned the shelf by her side. They were mere toys for others but perhaps as alive as all of us for her. They must have been telling the Mother about the character of each visitor. Think hard! Aren’t animals a better judge of human beings?

Anyway, I remember three of the older children picked up what they liked best. But the youngest one simply said, “Mother, I do not want to take anything!” Everyone was surprised because she was hardly three years old then. When one of the Mother’s attendants coaxed her to pick one, the Mother immediately asked him not to interfere. “This child is self-sufficient. Do not force anything on her.”

I did not know then, nor do I know now how the Mother’s words changed her life, but she definitely has a very independent nature. How she will fare in the future, I don’t know. She has recently completed Master’s degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Business Management.

After the children, it was my turn to do pranaam. After blessing me as she had the children, the Mother asked me to pick up a toy also. I hesitated a little. Seeing this, she immediately asked me, “Which is your favourite animal?” I told her she would laugh if I told her my choice.

“Come on,” she said, “let us know.”

Without any further hesitation I told the Mother that the owl was my favourite animal. The moment I uttered ‘owl’, she leaned backwards and laughed. After a while she said, “Doctor, the owl is also my favourite animal.”

It was such a wonderful feeling to hear those words! From childhood, for some reason I don’t know why, I always liked owls. A pair used to live very close to our house in the village. However, in our part of the world, the owl is considered a messenger of death! However, for a long time, I have been reading about them and collecting toy owls from all over the world. I have already collected more than 150 of them from many countries and friends keep bringing me more. I even have a framed picture of an owl in my room which was composed by a Chinese artist in Pondicherry. There is also another excellent painting by one of the sadhaks who was a great artist.

The owl is considered an emblem of Wisdom in the West and Prosperity in the Far East. In fact, in many countries, owls made of different materials are hung in front of the main doors.

I wanted to know why the owl is considered a bad omen and a messenger of death in the Himalayan villages. I found out it was because of its sharp ‘cry’ at night. People do not know this cry does not belong to a ‘witch’ or a messenger of Death, but is the midnight cry of the owl on a successful hunt or while mating. This is a special owl — the ‘hawk owl’. I had to actually show the owl to convince my mother, but she still would not change her view on owls. Initially, she hated my toy owls collection but later — much later — she not only tolerated them, but even admired them sometimes.

Anyway, I have the greatest solace and satisfaction that at least in one way I had some similarity with the Mother since both of us liked owls — though perhaps she for her wisdom and I for my folly!