Anything more important?

We get caught up in our daily lives, unaware of what is sometimes important and should, must, take precedent. I’ve been caught up in my daily life almost everyday since the day I landed in the USA in July of 2003. It will have been a long 5 years this July and even though I feel that I’ve gained so much here, I haven’t thought about what’s been really important to me. The unfortunate circumstances that I had to visit Bombay this past week, the city I have grown up to love, has enlightened me as to what should take precedent in my life.

My aunt; my second mom, my family’s “ben”, was diagnosed with ALS and she sought alternative treatment in India. Western medicine had robbed us of hope but we are not giving up yet. I got a call from India at 3am saying that Aunty was rushed to the ICU due to respiratory failure. I was shocked; none of us expected the disease to progress within a week, even before she had a chance to seek ayurvedic treatment.

But my first thought when I saw Purvi’s number on my phone that late was that something horrible had happened to my parents or to Purvi. This is the single most fear that I have in the US; not whether the next experiment will work or whether I’ll have funding for the next year or inconsequential things like rent and bills. I fear that one day that call will really come. It is an impossible situation to describe and the whirlwind which flows through your mind and heart is unbelievable painful as it is sudden. Naïve or not, I hope that I do not receive such a phone.

The whirlwind of the next 7 days cannot really be described. I was the last one to fly out a week later to come to Bombay to meet her. I’ve asked myself every single waking minute why I did that. I love her. She is family and nothing, I mean nothing, can be more important than that. Was I coming because I was saying goodbye? I hope not. I look into myself and I must be honest that in a way it was a goodbye. I can only be positive and hope that everything will be alright. I was also coming to show her that I love her. I was coming to tell her that we’re her family and there’s nothing that we will not do for her.

And that’s what I want to say; there’s nothing that we should not do for our family. I’ve been a hospital baby as far back as I can remember. I remember more than the needles and the medicines and the discomfort, the many sleepless nights my mom and dad have held me in their comforting arms. I got spoilt then, and I’m still spoilt now. They’ve offered me everything they have and even what they don’t have. Sometimes I feel that I don’t understand and appreciate the love they have for me. Sometimes I even get annoyed at them when they try and push and pamper me. How dare I? Mom, Dad, I’m sorry…I love you and I should say it more often; I think we all should. Purvi you’re the closest. It broke my heart to see you leave but I knew that to you as well, it was family that was driving that decision. I love you.

My family to me is the anchor to my life. I’m generally a very closed person; a complaint I get often from Asli. I hate to be probed and questioned. I may be experiencing as much turmoil as any other person, but peace and calm are normally a phone call away. I love every single person in my family; present and those yet to come. You can count on me for anything and everything.