Page 53 - NIS English 01-15 July 2022

PM's Blog Nation
small, but she was extremely large-hearted.
A close friend of my father used to stay in a
nearby village. After his untimely death, my
father brought his friend’s son, Abbas, to
our home. He stayed with us and completed
his studies. Mother was as affectionate and
caring towards Abbas just like she did for all
of us siblings. Every year on Eid, she used to
prepare his favourite dishes. On festivals, it
was commonplace for neighbourhood kids to
come to our house and enjoy Mother’s special
preparations.
Whenever a Sadhu visited our
neighbourhood, Mother would invite them
to our humble home for a meal. True to
her selfless nature, she would request the
Sadhus to bless us children rather than asking
anything for herself. She would urge them,
“Bless my children so that they are happy in
others’ joys and empathetic in their sorrows.
Let them have bhakti (devotion for the Divine)
and sevabhav (service to others).”
Mother has always had immense confidence
in me and the samskaras she imparted. I recall
a decades-old incident when I worked in the
organisation side. I was extremely busy with
organisational activities and could hardly get
in touch with my family. During that period, my
elder brother took Mother to Badrinath Ji and
Kedarnath Ji. Locals in Kedarnath Ji came to
know that my mother would be visiting once
she completed Darshan in Badrinath Ji.
However, the weather suddenly took a turn
for the worse. Some people came downhill with
blankets. They kept asking elderly women on
the roads whether they were Narendra Modi’s
mother. Finally, they met Mother, and gave
her blankets and tea. They made comfortable
arrangements for her stay in Kedarnath Ji.
This incident made a deep impression on
Mother. When she met me later, she said, “It
seems you are doing some good work, as
New India Samachar July 1-15, 2022 51