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<p style=”text-indent: 0.5in; margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: 200%;”><span style=”background: #ffff00;”><span style=”font-size: large;”>Really beautiful, would loved to have know exactly what these monthly death rituals are that you have been missing. Fascinating that there is the constant touchstone of the rituals and the remembering compared to Western culture we are hastened to forget and move on. I love how you’ve started in with the calender… “the Tamil </span><span style=”font-size: large;”><i>panchangam</i></span><span style=”font-size: large;”>, the ancient Indian astrological calendar” although I still wasn’t totally sure how it differed from ours (i’m not good at understanding practical things like this and how it was the same for one day every three months?</span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom: 0in;”></p>Vijaya,
There is much rich material in here. I see the eldest daughter ( you) shouldered with this monthly responsibility and how by forgetting to do the rituals you avoid having to face your father’s absence. That’s’ a great moment. I love the ideas in the first part about how far about the lunar and solar calendars get.. I think you could explore this a bit more. It’s so fascinating and could also be a metaphor for the differences between you and your father or your father and mother, perhaps? Lovely
Vijaya,
I am thrilled to see you beginning this letter again, picking it up. It is not only the ritual markings but the letter than have started now.
There is so much feeling and power here. As you can see from my marginal notes, there are places I have questions or want more, but right now the important thing is for you to feel your way toward what you want to say, toward how this relationship with your father is changing and growing—you have some beautiful insights about that here. Keep going, keep going, keep going.
Warmly,
Elizabeth
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