Till this morning, I had no clue what I would want to say or write that I have not already expressed in my ealiers posts for our beloved Pammi Aunty ji. Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, certain conversations and images started re-playing in my mind, while a shabad played in the background – ਐਸੇ ਗੁਰ ਕਉ ਬਲਿ ਬਲਿ ਜਾਈਐ ਆਪਿ ਮੁਕਤੁ ਮੋਹਿ ਤਾਰੈ ॥ …Thus, sowing the seeds of thoughts and nudging me to write this blog for a Divine Soul, a Saint, Pammi Aunty ji, who walked on Earth, to live her life as per the Almighty’s Hukum and guided many souls to walk on the path of spirituality.

I clearly remember, one Sunday evening around 5pm, Auntyji walked into our house (and into our lives) with many sangat members. Her infectious laugh and divine glow made her visibly standout, which filled the room with an energy, that a ten year old (me), could not missout on noticing.

Over the following years, I witnessed Pammi auntyji devote countless days and evenings being with members of the sangat, sharing her time, her wisdom, and, above all, her love for Gurbani, with utmost patience, humility and warmth. She spoke to everyone about the teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, helping and guiding our parents find meaning, and strength to embrace the timeless wisdom of our Gurus.

But Aunty ji’s seva did not end with the adults. She lovingly embraced us children too. She spent time playing, going on picnics, watching movies, telling stories of the Ten Sikh Gurus, and gently introducing us to the values and tenets of Sikhism. She lovingly nurtured and nudged each of us, the next generation, on the path of spirituality.

What made her even more special was that she did not merely speak about these teachings, she lived them too. I would not be wrong to say that she was a sea of love, over flowing with kindness, humility, and patience. Whenever anyone would interact with her, she would make them feel loved, giving every individual a feeling that they mattered the most to her and had a special place in her life and heart. She attended our birthday parties, danced on our weddings, rejoiced on the birth of our children, and became a mother to them too. Her love was pure without any strings attached.

Be it young or old, each one of us looked—and still looks—at her as a loving mother and, at times, a rather strict disciplinarian. Even those who were older than her would look at her with the same love, respect, and affection that one has for a mother.

And yes, we were a little scared of her too! When she was displeased with us, we would feel like schoolchildren standing outside the principal’s office, nervous, quiet, and wondering what was coming next! But that fear was always wrapped in immense love and respect.

Then came that smile…

The moment her stern expression softened and her lips curved into that beautiful, familiar smile, aah…our hearts would simply melt. Eyes would well up, innocent smiles would appear on our faces, and all that nervousness would disappear. When she showered us with her love and affection, our happiness knew no bounds. We felt safe. We felt cherished. We felt like we were home.

That was her magic. She could be the mother who lovingly embraced us, the disciplinarian who kept us on our toes, and the person whose one smile could make everything feel right again. Somehow, each of us,regardless of our age, felt like her child.

Her time on Earth was filled with abundant love and joy and innumerable difficulties too. She went through each of them with absolute grace and dignity, and became the epitome of strength, unconditional love, and devotion towards the Almighty and her sangat.

With folded hands and utmost respect, we all bow down to the beautiful memories that each of us have of you and sing aloud in unison with utmost reverence – ਐਸੇ ਗੁਰ ਕਉ ਬਲਿ ਬਲਿ ਜਾਈਐ, ਆਪਿ ਮੁਕਤੁ ਮੋਹਿ ਤਾਰੈ ॥ We pray and seek your blessings that the seeds of Sikhi that you have planted in our hearts and minds continue to grow, guiding us to the journey of reaching ਆਤਮ ਮਾਰਗ (Atam Marg).