#21 Love & Prasadam

Mother Lore attended the Disappearance Day Ceremony for Tamal Krsna Maharaja at Houston Temple. During the day, I kept reminding her to take naps , because there was a special function for us to attend and we would be up late. I never told her the reason for the event, not wanting to disturb her. We arrived at 7pm. She was well rested. 

I don't think that she ever fully understood the reason for the ceremony, beyond that everyone was there to honor her son. She sat through the tributes, but the "words" were not something she fully comprehended. When there are a lot of distractions she's not able to focus, and she was busy watching the devotees around her.

We watched a video of a lecture by Tamal Krsna Maharaja. He spoke about when a mother feeds her child, she gives the child more than just the milk. She gives love... most important of all. A loving tribute to his own mother. His childhood memories must be very sweetly filled with all the love that she gave to him... her only darling boy.

During  the pushpanjali offering I rolled her wheelchair close to the side of the vyasasana with Goswami Maharaja's seated picture that was beautifully garlanded . Lore offered some flower petals to the picture of her son . This ceremony is probably the last one that she'll attend and how fortunate we all are, to witness this loving gesture.

When Lore saw the long tables, that were piled high with food offerings of cakes and cookies, being carried out of the temple room.  She turned to me with a wide eyed look, like an excited child and stage whispered, "We're gonna get dessert!" 

                                                            ***

One time, a visitor at our home, showed us a picture of Tamal Krsna Maharaja having a picnic, taking prasadam with a group of devotees.  Our guest explained that prasadam was food offered to Krsna. Lore quickly spoke up in an indignant voice, "I know what prasadam is."

Doesn't everyone?

Like babies, learning important words, prasadam is probably the first word that every new devotee learns....and  the taste that we never forget. Made with love.