Her memory lives on in her children

USHA Devi (Pravisha) Ramlugan was my mother-in-law, but I never got to meet her. She passed away on July 6, 2004, and she would have turned 55 this month.

From the stories that I’ve been told, Pravisha, originally from Asherville in Durban, was an always present mom, doting daughter, a strong woman, and a lover of all things art. Coming from a Telugu-speaking family, Pitra Paksha has never been something that I grew up observing, and I was only really aware of the significance after meeting my husband.

Rahul and Kajal were children when their mother passed away, and I can’t

imagine what it was like losing her so suddenly. They have managed to keep her memory alive in so many ways, but for me the biggest is in the choices that they make every day to honour their mother’s teachings and the person that she was.

I know that it was difficult experiencing many of life’s milestones without her by their sides, the most recent being when Rahul and I got married this year. However, both Kajal and Rahul have pushed through with the belief that she is always with them in spirit. I know, for a fact, that she would be proud of the adults that they have grown up to be, with credit, of course, to their father, Tony Ramlugan, as well.

During this fast, life is celebrated not mourned, as it should be, and it’s a time to not only remember loved ones who have passed but to think about the memory that you want to leave behind.