Susee Mable's Silent Meditations

August 2, 1971 - Lutheran Transfiguration Church, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India  "There are some who bring a light so great to the world that even after they have gone, the light remains."   Posted by: Suhasini Photos: © Anandaraju Family Archives

Susee Mable Posted by: Suhasini

Posted by: Suhasini

Posted by: Suhasini

The Home Team: Pamula Daniel, Anil (Anibob), Susee (Chanty), Victoriamma, Suha (Chelly) and Pastor M. Benjamin On May 20, 1941 in Narendrapuram , Andhra Pradesh India—our beloved Susee Mable (Chanty) was born. May 20th was as blessed a day for her parents Pastor M. Benjamin and Victoriamma, as it was for Dad, Anil and me. Mum blessed us with her radiant light and unconditional love and remains, as ever, the centre of our family and world. What did we ever do to deserve her? I'm not sure but am so grateful to have loved her and been loved by her and to know that our love still endures. Happy birthday darling Mummy. Love you forever. Posted by: Suhasini

Susee Mable (centre) with Anil (far left), nephews, Rajini's sister and Sasikala Whether it was her son or daughter, her patients, her nieces and nephews, babysitters or children in the community; my mother Susee Mable was a beacon of light and comfort to all. She was a mother and a safe space rolled in one. She was born with a maternal instinct and the ability to selflessly and unconditionally give her love, time and assistance without judgment. The photograph above, taken in Sangareddy, India in 1972 is a classic in our collection of family photographs. It not only displays my mother's gentle and timeless beauty but the host of children who were always happy and safe in her presence. The two nephews pictured above, in fact begged my father to accompany him on the two hour bus journey into Sangareddy just to spend time with my mother. She was a wonderful aunt. She guarded her young relatives with her wings and showered them with affection. Mum even went out of her w...

"Thou art thy mother's glass and she in thee Calls back the lovely April of her prime." —Shakespeare (Sonnet III) Posted by: Suhasini

November 30, 1974 Posted by: Suhasini

Susee Mable, age 18 (Andhra Pradesh, 1959)   © Anandaraju Family Archives  You're so like the lady with the mystic smile Is it only 'cause you're lonely they have blamed you? For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile? —Mona Lisa by Jay Livingston, Ray Evans (as performed by Nat King Cole one of my mother's favourite singers) Posted by: Suhasini 

Pastor M. Benjamin, Victoriamma (Veeramma), Susee Mable, Anil and Suha. Three generations of love. Photos: © Anandaraju Family Archives (Bhimavaram, 1973) Posted by: Suhasini

Susee Mable (right) with Mrs. Lazar at Jinnur Maternity Centre (1971) © Anandaraju Family Archives Posted by: Suhasini

August 2, 1971 Lutheran Transfiguration Church Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India Signing Marriage Register Signing Marriage Register Photos: © Anandaraju Family Archives See more pics here . Posted by: Suhasini

Susee Mable and friend, Andhra Pradesh (1960s)   © Anandaraju Family Archives Posted by: Suhasini

Susee Mable (far right) and friends with Victoriamma (far left) and Pastor M. Benjamin (back) © Anandaraju Family Archives Posted by: Suhasini

Susee Mable in Hyderabad, 1974 © Anandaraju Family Archives Posted by: Suhasini

Pastor M. Benjamin September 18, 1905 - January 21, 1984 with Mrs. Victoriamma and Susee Mable in 1974 On January 21, 1984, thirty-three years ago to the day, my mother's precious father—my beloved grandfather, Pastor M. Benjamin passed away in Nuzvid, Andhra Pradesh, India. Three decades may have passed, but there has not been one day where his name hasn't been mentioned in our home. He remains the unshakable, unforgettable and revered figure head of our family. Mrs. Victoriamma and Pastor M. Benjamin with grandchildren Anil and Suha Born Mylabathula Benjamin on September 18, 1905 * to a loving Lutheran family in the village of Agarthipalem (West Godavari district), my grandfather’s devotion to Christ was a calling he heeded from an early age. Always one to follow his heart and think outside the box, he converted to Adventism in his youth and later became an ordained and venerated pastor within the South Asian Adventist mission for over four decades. Before ...

Susee Mable with friends and fellow students from King George Hospital School of Nursing, Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, India (1960s) Posted By: Suhasini © Anandaraju Family Archives

Susee Mable age 6 (Flaiz Memorial Adventist School circa 1947) © Anandaraju Family Archives Ever since I was a kid, I have longed for a photograph of my beloved mother as a little girl. To have just one glimpse of her in childhood would have made my life. Of course, we had wonderful and iconic photographs of my mother during her teens and twenties but never one from her girlhood. Amid my desperate pleas, Mum would often lovingly console me: "Not everyone had cameras back then, Amma. That's just how those days were." Flash forward to October 2016: an inconspicuous visit by a family member living in the U.S. to an old friend paved the way for my lifelong dream to come true. My relative stumbled upon an old black and white school photo circa 1947 at the home of his friend. As school photos go, it was standard fare with rows of neatly groomed teachers and students in classic school day poses. As my uncle searched for familiar faces, the sweet-faced little girl...

Mum age 16, at the Godavari Bridge (1957) "Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal." —Old Irish proverb Posted by: Suhasini © Anandaraju Family Archives

Posted by: Suhasini