Thank you Ramya for this beautiful and moving post about Pradheep. It's also very emotional to read it. It is impossible to fill that void in our hearts. Let us all cherish the good times we had with him, like you say-Mom
What a lovely, tender, intimate essay. I feel that you’ve brought me into your life, and into the life of someone you deeply loved, and will continue to do so forever. Love endures. I’m honored to be mentioned as someone you can connect with on Substack. I feel equally connected in this community of grieving people. Thank you so very much. 🙏💕
And as I lose those closest to me I discover that my grief is different each time and in some ways never ending: just like the living relationships were all different in different ways. There's a lot to unpack in all of that. But the continuum seems to point to keeping each relationship alive. Rather than dwelling in the past, these memories illuminate my present and I do feel strongly the love of the people I've lost. And I hope that's a two way street, but who knows...
Although I was raised Catholic, with the belief that when we pass on, our souls go to a better place (Heaven), I’ve found a deep connection with the teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism. The idea of reincarnation speaks to me in a way that feels profoundly true, a vision of the soul’s endless journey through cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. It’s a beautiful belief that life isn’t just a single chapter, but an ongoing story, with each lifetime carrying the wisdom and echoes of the past. The concept of karma adds even more depth, reminding us that our choices and experiences ripple beyond this life, shaping the journey ahead, even influencing the parents and circumstances we return to. There’s something poetic in the thought that our souls are always growing, always seeking balance and evolving, lifetime after lifetime.
What you wrote is so deeply true and beautifully expressed. Grief is something we all must face, yet no matter how much we try to prepare, nothing can truly ready us for it. Losing someone we love, a family member, a friend, shatters us in ways we never imagined possible, leaving an emptiness that feels impossible to fill.
The hardest part isn’t just their absence, but all the moments we lost. The time we let slip away, the words we never spoke, the laughter we never shared. It’s the meals we’ll never share again, the love we didn’t give enough of, and the forgiveness we held back.
Your words touched me deeply. I could feel your sorrow as if it were my own. I’ve known the pain of losing someone dear, though I can only begin to fathom the grief of losing a brother or sister. Yet in the way you’ve honored him, there’s a quiet comfort—a reminder that even in our darkest moments of loss, it’s love that endures, and it’s love that keeps us connected, even when the ones we love are no longer with us.
I sent few entries in my journal to you Ramya. Some were my notes, some were movie quotes, some were urls etc. After about 2 years, I still struggle with thoughts about Pradheep. I am not fighting it, as I know I should remember him with love, than with grief. I will honor/remember him trying it until, it ends like anything else. Love, Dad
Thank you Ramya for this beautiful and moving post about Pradheep. It's also very emotional to read it. It is impossible to fill that void in our hearts. Let us all cherish the good times we had with him, like you say-Mom
What a lovely, tender, intimate essay. I feel that you’ve brought me into your life, and into the life of someone you deeply loved, and will continue to do so forever. Love endures. I’m honored to be mentioned as someone you can connect with on Substack. I feel equally connected in this community of grieving people. Thank you so very much. 🙏💕
I didn’t know personally how dreadfully painful the loss of someone through death could be until my father died. It was really really awful.
Now, I wish I could help a friend who’s lost her sister. It’s heartbreaking to see her grieve.
Thank you for this, I will share it with my friend.
I hope the pain your grieve fades away…it will…and only the happy memories remain.
What you've written is very touching.
And as I lose those closest to me I discover that my grief is different each time and in some ways never ending: just like the living relationships were all different in different ways. There's a lot to unpack in all of that. But the continuum seems to point to keeping each relationship alive. Rather than dwelling in the past, these memories illuminate my present and I do feel strongly the love of the people I've lost. And I hope that's a two way street, but who knows...
Although I was raised Catholic, with the belief that when we pass on, our souls go to a better place (Heaven), I’ve found a deep connection with the teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism. The idea of reincarnation speaks to me in a way that feels profoundly true, a vision of the soul’s endless journey through cycles of birth, death, and rebirth. It’s a beautiful belief that life isn’t just a single chapter, but an ongoing story, with each lifetime carrying the wisdom and echoes of the past. The concept of karma adds even more depth, reminding us that our choices and experiences ripple beyond this life, shaping the journey ahead, even influencing the parents and circumstances we return to. There’s something poetic in the thought that our souls are always growing, always seeking balance and evolving, lifetime after lifetime.
What you wrote is so deeply true and beautifully expressed. Grief is something we all must face, yet no matter how much we try to prepare, nothing can truly ready us for it. Losing someone we love, a family member, a friend, shatters us in ways we never imagined possible, leaving an emptiness that feels impossible to fill.
The hardest part isn’t just their absence, but all the moments we lost. The time we let slip away, the words we never spoke, the laughter we never shared. It’s the meals we’ll never share again, the love we didn’t give enough of, and the forgiveness we held back.
Your words touched me deeply. I could feel your sorrow as if it were my own. I’ve known the pain of losing someone dear, though I can only begin to fathom the grief of losing a brother or sister. Yet in the way you’ve honored him, there’s a quiet comfort—a reminder that even in our darkest moments of loss, it’s love that endures, and it’s love that keeps us connected, even when the ones we love are no longer with us.
I sent few entries in my journal to you Ramya. Some were my notes, some were movie quotes, some were urls etc. After about 2 years, I still struggle with thoughts about Pradheep. I am not fighting it, as I know I should remember him with love, than with grief. I will honor/remember him trying it until, it ends like anything else. Love, Dad