Pornima's body was cremated today and we know in our hearts that she has been given her True freedom and entry into the promised land earlier than we expected. Her Body was accompanied by her Sari Bari and Freeset families as well as her mother and son. One of the girls commented, that Pornima would have been so encouraged to know how very well loved she was by so many people. Pornima was wrapped in her Sari Bari blanket, it was a marker of hope and the freedom that Pornima has received in the welcome embrace of Jesus. We ended the time with prayers and the rememberance that one day we will see pornima again, whole and restored. We hope, believe and pray for beauty out these ashes in our loss of Pornima...for each woman at Sari Bari, their children and their families.
We all wept and cried together and then we followed the bengali tradition of taking a bath in the Ganga (Ganges). I have never taken a bath in the ganga before but i have to say there is something pretty healing about jumping in the water with other mourners, sisters and friends, washing away the tears and starting anew. It is like after experiencing the death of a loved one, you have the opportunity once again to be reborn, to be refreshed in the water (even very dirty water that makes you wonder whether you should take a z-pac as a preventative measure.). There is alot of religious rituals connected to this practice but i have to say, i celebrated the bath with the Sari Bari women as something that heals, remembering that Jesus makes us new, washes us clean and restores life.
1 comment:
What a precious time this must have been, knowing that she is in the arms of Jesus and that you and your friends could experience the healing of the water.
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