Susee Mable's Silent Meditations

Thirty-one years ago, on Wednesday March 26, 1986 , my mother Susee Mable's beloved mother, Victoriamma passed away in a Narsapur hospital in Andhra Pradesh, India. The day my grandmother died is forever etched in my memory because the pure, consecrated, unwavering and unconditional love my mother felt for her mother was so palpable . Upon hearing of her mother's passing, Mum whispered, " No, please no " and collapsed to the ground. Her heart broken, she was inconsolable with grief. Victoriamma M. Benjamin © Anandaraju Family Archives My grandmother was born Veeramma Tanukula (her Christian name was "Victoriamma") on September 26, 1913 to a loving family in the village of Chilukuru (West Godavari district). Her parents were Isaiah and Mariamma Tanukula . She had an older sister named Gnanaratnamma (Gangamma) and a younger brother named Israel . On June 26, 1926 , she married Mylabathula Benjamin an elementary school teacher who became an orda...

With Mum at the helm, ours was a happy family life. She brought so much love and joy into our lives and taught us to explore our world with curiosity and kindness. Our first trip to the Toronto Zoo in 1979, filled with giraffes, monkeys, lions and aquatic life (among others), was an absolute delight; and not just because of our animal friends but because of Mum's cheerful spirit and wide-eyed wonder. She was a treasure, and not just as a wife and mother but as a nurse, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a human being and a child of God. We enjoyed every minute of our time together. Posted by: Suhasini; Photograph by: Raju (Dad), © Anandaraju Family Archives