Not With Us Anymore..........

I have been away from blogging and Goa for the past few days. My mother-in-law passed away last week and we were in Kochi for the ceremonies.
My mother-in-law was a person who enjoyed life even when her health didn’t permit her to be very active outside her home. Nothing was more important than family and seeing that they were taken care of and fed well. Her knowledge of our traditions and cuisine was immense as was her love for cooking and gardening.

My mother-in-law’s introduction to cooking came at the age of 12. Though academically bright, that was a time when girls rarely attended school beyond the age of 12. She started cooking at her home where food was cooked, using firewood stoves, not only for a large extended family but also for the people who used to work on the family owned farms.
She then got married at 19 and took charge of the kitchen, as the eldest daughter-in-law, in a large family. By now, some of the cooking was done using kerosene stoves. Slowly the extended family became smaller as members moved away and cooking became easier with the advent of gas cylinders and other kitchen gadgets. Her children grew up and moved away till she was cooking for two.
After my father-in-law passed away 6 years ago, she seemed to lose interest in cooking but she was always ready to share her knowledge and experience with food.

Our daughter’s first encounter with the passing away of a loved one was when she was about 4 years old. I didn’t know how to answer her questions about where we go when we are no more. I “borrowed” a concept I had read about in my story books. I told her that we do not really go away but become stars in the sky to shine down and continue to watch over loved ones.
I do not know if this is true but I believe that my mother-in-law is at peace and watching over us as she always has in the past.