70. I got my B. Ed. degree!

          Thousand Full Moon: Shrimati Vijaya Ramchandra Apte
          Contributed By: Dr. Raghunath Boradkar

 

Shrimati  Vijaya Ramchandra Apte , daughter of Late Shri Jagannath Narayan Limaye and late Sou. Savitribai Jagannath Limaye  is now 83 years old.She was born in a small village Mirjole in Ratnagiri district. Her father was a high official in Ingersol Rand, an American Company in then Bombay. She now lives in her own flat in Dahanukar colony Kothrud Pune. She has maintained good health and is a devotee of Shri Samarth Ramdas Swami of sajjangad. She quotes from Dasbodh a stanza ’jagi sarva sukhi asa kon ahe  Vichari mana tuch shodhoni pahe’ (who in this world is completely happy? Oh thoughtful mind, why don’t you look around and see for yourself) and thinks that it is an eternal truth. Life is therefore a package deal full of joys and sorrows. She tries to follow his advice in real life.

She has done her matriculation from Bombay Board her B.A, from Pune university, B. Ed from Nagpur University and M.A. from Ravishankar Shukla University Raipur[Madhya Pradesh].

Here she narrates two instances from her life that gave her the utmost joy and pleasure. First is when she got her B.Ed. and the second one is when her daughter got her M.D.

Here is what she has to say:

We were staying in Ratnagiri then. Our house was named Savitribhuvan. I did my BA. From Gagate College and later on got my Hindi Visharad from Pune University. On 5t may 1954 I was married to Shri Ramchandra Yashvant Apte from Nagpur with usual fanfare. Marriage is a transitional period in one’s life and in my case it turned out to be a very happy transition. Shri Apte popularly called Rajabhau had a towering personality and an amiable temperament. He made himself dear to all.

The first year of marriage was very enjoyable. Soon on 25^th may 1955 there was a new arrival in the form of a baby girl. Her naming ceremony was performed at my mother’s place with great enthusiasm and she was named Vinita.

This was the happiest moment in our life. But destiny had other plans in store for us and the joy was short lived as Ch. Vinita passed away even before she could complete a year leaving us in profound grief. A Life was nipped in bud.   With the help of near and dear ones we got over the grief and returned to normal life soon.

Time passed and we had another baby girl Shuchita born to us. When she was six months old we shifted from Nepanagar to Bhilai as Shri Apte got a better job with a higher salary. Then after one and a half year we got another baby girl Shubhada . She really turned out to be a bestower of good fortune as her name suggested. Shri Apte got a raise in the salary and a bigger quarter. His sister got married and everything seemed fantastic. We happily returned to Bhilai but to be struck by bad luck again. On the very next day of our return Ch. Shuchita developed fever which turned out to be Typhoid. Everything possible was tried but she did not respond to the treatment given and she too passed away and left us in grief. It was Ch. Shubhada who helped us in  getting over our grief.

It was when she was in third standard that I decided to do B.Ed. My close friend Sou. Shevalkar helped me in getting the admission form from Nagpur. Luck favoured me and it so happened that before I filled the form the B.Ed. college Principal Shri Puranik who had come to visit his niece [Sou. Ghiranikar] called on us. He advised us that we should write our Nagpur address rather than Our Bhilai address on the form. We therefore wrote our Nagpur address on the form and applied for admission.

In the meanwhile My Father and Mother in law who were staying in the house in Nagpur left for Bombay. The house was therefore locked. One day my sister in law went to the house for getting it cleaned and found the admission letter and promptly sent it to me. So I could attend the interview and got admission for the course. This certainly was a stroke of good luck. After some efforts I got Hindi and English as subjects to teach. Not only that but as I was not a Hindi speaking person I got a scholarship of hundred rupees per month for opting for Hindi. I was overjoyed.

Once I went to my maternal aunt and my brother Shri Aba Ghangurde who were staying near our college. I casually said that as I stay far away I can’t reach the college on time because getting a rickshaw is a problem. Hearing this they promptly said ‘Why not come and stay here? It will solve the problem. I immediately accepted their proposal and went to stay with them. That solved all my problems I studied well and passed with 66% marks. My daughter Shubhada was looked after by my sister in law so well that she stood second in her class.

I went back to Bhilai got a job in a school and later on did M.A. Hindi. These were the best days of my life.

My second happy memory centres round my daughter Shubhada. As we had lost Vinita and Shuchita we were extremely protective about Shubhada. She was an apple of our eye. She did well in all fields in her school and college days and won numerous prizes and our hearts were filled with contentment. I really thank God for giving us such a ‘Sarvagunsampanna Kanyaratna’

In the premedical test conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Govt. she stood tenth out of 14 thousand students. She stood third in her final M.B.B.S. examination. Because of her extra ordinary performance she could get the subject of her choice for post graduate studies and that was paediatrics. She was 22 by now and had completed her first semester of P.G. studies. We had no thought of getting her married. But God willed otherwise and there was a fine proposal and that too from a Doctor so we went ahead.

Soon after marriage Sou. Shubhada had to discontinue her post graduate studies to attend to some household duties at Raipur. It disturbed us a little as she had to discontinue her M.D. Studies. Shubhada shouldered her family responsibilities with grace and dignity. After giving birth to two beautiful children and completing her studies for D. Ch. And clearing the Public Service Comission examination in the first attempt by Gods grace and the best wishes of her near and dear ones she got selected for M.D. training at the B.J. Medical College Pune. For this to happen a decade had to pass.. She cleared her M.D. examination at the first attempt and her and our long awaited desired was fulfilled. I was very happy. I was reminded of a saying in Hindi ’Bhagwan ke ghar der hai lekin andher nahi’ (There is delay in God’s house but there is no darkness) unfortunately her father Shri Apte could not be a witness to this joyous moment as he was no more.

Shrimati Vijaya Ramchandra Apte M.A. B. Ed.

69. A life as full as the full Moon!

Contributed by: Andrea Webb

As the end of her years draws near after 1022 Full Moons - I realize how wonderful of a life my Mother has lived.  Today as I walked with a heavy heart discussing her few remaining days in great pain, the gentleman I was with mentioned to me the great celebration of the 1000 full moons.  I had not heard of this before and suddenly I realized all the wonderful memories woven into a tapestry in my Mother's life bringing her to this last full moon - not alone, but complete and fulfilled with a life lived in the way a life should be, intricate - complex- peaks of highs and lows - but overall - she had all of the experiences that could simply be called living.

I turn back the moons to the earlier full moons in my Mother's life as a little girl in Germany - displaced by the horrors of WWII - losing her family members and leaving behind loved ones.  A move to her homeland of Switzerland to a refugee camp where the next best offer was a move to Canada - to homestead a farm for five years outside of Montreal.  Cold winters on a foreign land, the loss of her Father, the companionship and friendship of the other Swiss children, who remain her friends 1000 full moons later....

Then a chance meeting with a debonair Argentine Diplomat on his first posting - my Mother's beauty and charm captures him - despite ups and downs - the loss of a child, they stayed married until death did them part.  They traveled the world together, living in many countries and seeing many wonderful cities, cultures, people, and nurturing lifelong friendships along the way.  As news of my Mother's last days spread around the world, the calls started to come in from friends all over the world - sweet chances at reliving these memories they shared and having the opportunity to tell her how very much they meant to one another, a last goodbye, a chance to say things that had been left unsaid....

I come to see my Mother here at the end of the Full Moons - surrounded by friends calling - and the strength of her character and the lasting impressions she made - are all examples to me, to live, to live a full life and to continue to follow her footsteps.  Building bridges with my friends and loved ones, traveling, helping others, giving, and watching every single night with a new appreciation...because..to be honest, life didn't weigh the same to me a few months ago as it does now.  Only now that I see a life that is very precious to me slipping slowly away as I stand afar and can do nothing to change this, that I finally can appreciate the life she gave me..and perhaps - now - I will treasure being alive and being in the moment and be able to look forwards to my 1000th full moon.

Andrea Webb

68. 40s and the 50s were the best era

Thousand Full Moon: Mr. John Pedicure (Not his real name) 87 years

Contributor: Rohini

I was at my local salon a few days ago and could not help but over hear an elderly gentleman talking to his pedicurist about how he had been married for 67 years… As soon as I was done I rushed out and introduced myself to the elderly couple. Mr. and Mrs. John were sitting side by side and getting a pedicure! How romantic is that!! They looked relaxed and comfortable. Mr. John was more sociable than Mrs. John who seemed more of an intent listener.

I explained about the ‘Thousand Full Moons’ blog to Mr. John and asked him whether he wanted to share a pleasant memory from his life that I could share on my blog.

Mr. John told me that he was 87 years old and had been married 67 years. Has a daughter who is 65 and four sons. He remembered the war. He said the 40s and 50s were the best decades of his life. He loved the then romantic movies of that era till today to the movies these days that are full of violence and sex.

At this point the pedicurist said. “She is going to make you famous; you are going to be in the news paper”

Mr. John suddenly became alarmed. I don’t want to be in the news paper he said. I assured him that would not be the case. I even assured him that I will not use his real name which he had not given me thus far any ways. But that did not help. I was not able to alleviate his fears. I did not want to make him uncomfortable so I stopped. He gave me permission to write about what little he had shared with me.

“I don’t have a blog you see,” said Mr. John, “so I won’t be able to read yours any ways”

I congratulated Mr. and Mrs. John on their upcoming anniversary and took leave as I contemplated on ways to assure my thousand moons about my harmless intent…