I found out that my grandmother passed away today at 1:00 pm. My mom is going to India to visit relatives. I wish I could go but unable to. The first thing that came to my mind is the times I visited her as a child. She played with me and took me places. I made crafts and drew pictures for her.

One particular memory was when she took me and my younger sister to church. I was 6 and she was 4. Both of us were excited because we never saw a church or nuns. Five minutes into mass, we couldn't sit still. We started tickling each other, walking down the aisles and pushing Grandma's buttons till she walked up to us took both us by the ears and back to our places. On the way back, we got scoldings.

I remember a lot about my Grandmother. I remember her the most for her devotion to God. She always went to mass and prayed. And she's my cute li'l Grandma. I cried when I heard this but it made me think about life. Ultimately, our life on earth is temporary. This temporary life will come to an end for all of us. I'm having mixed feelings. I feel sad that she's gone.

Then, all the sudden I remember a painting that used to hang in her old home. It's the painting of the Lord's Supper where Jesus and his disciples sat on a long table. Next to the disciples, I'm seeing everybody I know who is a Christian. My grandmother is one of them. I feel peaceful imagining her going to heaven and being with God. She's on her way to see Jesus. And someday, I'll be there too.

Please pray for traveling mercies for my mother going to India. Also, pray for my family members. I'm not sure if some of them accepted Christ as their personal saviour.

Indu Shanmugam