Circling Our Wagons

Where were you when you got the news?

Personally, I was sitting in the DMV, minding my own business, when my text signal went off.

Dar: Braja was in a bad wreck.

Me: In Bangkok?  She okay?

Dar: No, it's bad.

Me: How did you hear?

Dar: No, it's bad-lotsa surgery.  Reading now.  Vodka Mom.

Me: I'm at the DMV and can't use the phone.  Details, woman, details!

Dar:  Go to prabhupada.org

So I did.  Now, for the next four years, every time I pull out my driver's license I will think of this day and remember choking back sobs in front of a room full of strangers.  

What is that old saying?  He comes like a thief in the night?  For some reason, that just keeps resounding in my head.  And I keep going back to her blog, and those last couple of weirdly prophetic posts, to reread them, and try to think about this as Braja would, but I just can't wrap my mind around it.  Chaotic thoughts ricochet one right off the other.  Do I pray?  You're damn right I pray.  In fact, many of us, at noon today, will be praying together.  

I spent a great deal of time last night doing searches on ISKCON, Apollo Hospital, India-anything I could think of to try to make sense of this, to feel closer to my 'sister'.  I don't know about ya'll, but I grew up in an era when we didn't have all this marvelous information at our fingertips.  I got the Reader's Digest version of Hare Krishna when I was growing up, the "My child was brainwashed by this CULT" stories.  As far as those stories went, all Hare Krishna followers did was hang out in airports trying to sell flowers and recruiting others to do the same.  It boggles my mind that they were considered EVIL, when I watch something like the video her friend produced.  It is not hard to understand how one could be drawn to a religion whose focus is getting closer to the Supreme Being.  

THEN, as I was getting ready to go to bed, I checked my reader one last time, and found THIS. You guys?  Thirty six is just WAY too young for a stroke.  Please keep Kelly in your prayers as well.  I know I will.