Friday, January 13
I like the early hours of Kerala winter morning, especially when I wake
up in our new flat in Kalathypady, very close to Kottayam and my mom's house.
The cool morning quietness is broken only by a vigorous bird chirping and
cock crowing. It's nice to sit back and relax without any major to-do list to
accomplish during the day. Tomorrow is going to be a big day, the day Susan and
I have been hoping for since we began our sabbatical planning. It is to
celebrate the 90th birthday of my mom whom we lovingly call Kochammachi.
All her children, six of us, will be there. We will meet at my
sister's house in Chennankary, near Alleppey. Our plan is hire a large
boat for few hours and go for boat ride into the beautiful Vembanadu Lake.
Food and drinks will be served in the boat. There will be close to
forty people including her 86 year old brother, three or four cousins also in
their eighties, nieces, nephews, children, grandchildren and great
grandchildren. Part of the ceremony is to adorn her with a Ponnada, a very fine
thin cloth with a band of golden threads on the edges. Then children and
grandchildren will say few words giving thanks to God for her and then provide
some entertainment. This will be the first time in many years for us to
be part of the celebration of a family milestone. I will post another blog with pictures of family reunion in a couple of days.
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| Kochammachi |
Dear Father Koshy,
ReplyDeleteI am so happy to be following your spiritual journey back home. Everyplace you mention...I look up and read more about it...so I am learning more about India...and also simultaneously feeling like I am following you with every foot step along the way. I am so glad to know that you, your family and most especially Kochammachi will be together for the auspicious occassion of her 90th birthday. May God keep you all safe and blessed in the many days, weeks and months to come. Take care and tell Susan I said 'Hi"...and don't forget about that St. Thomas Cross for me...HA! I see that Kottayam can be roughly translated to "the interior of the fort"...Hmm...maybe that is some thing like St. Teresa's "Interior Castle"...where your soul and God become mystically in union.
I am praying for you.
Hello Lisa, I didn't get a chance to reply you until now. As you may have already read the 90th celebration of our mom went well. The next day, I took part in the Mar Thoma eucharistic service and preached. It is such a huge blessing for me and my family. Yes, I will look up for the St. Thomas Cross and get one for you. I am amazed by your interest in learning about the traditions of other churches and ways of other cultures. It is so very important for us to be aware of each other and be open to God's manifestations in other places.
DeleteKeep well.
Koshy
Congratulations to your mom on her 90th - hope she has a very Happy Birthday! Love to you all - Judy
ReplyDeleteThank you Judy. The celebration went extremely well. We are having a fantastic time in India. Ranjit and Manju are going back to today. Jonu will stay longer.
DeleteLove,
Koshy and Susan
Dear Koshy and Susan,
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to be able to share this journey with you! We can only imagine how thrilled your mother is to have all six of her beloved children with her as she celebrates her 90th birthday! We are so grateful that you are sharing both the beauty and history of India and also your family experiences. We look forward to hearing of more adventures as you travel. Love, Moira, Alicia, and Ginger