Today Marks the 6th Month of my Mother's Passing-Amazing Story!

My Mother

Death is the inevitable life mystery that waits for all of us ahead. That's fine. My mother passed away six months ago. It was a heartbreaking moment and I think I was in a very long silence to sharing this on social media. I think I was in a denial. This is a different period of my life. We spent a very strange Easter holiday for the first time this year when my mother was not part of it. She was the color of all holidays at home. Anyways, that's life. We are now very strong and our elderly father is also comforted after mourning the loss of his sweetheart. We were worried about him because of the strong connection he had with my mother. Missing a lifetime soulmate with quality 50+years of engagement and commitment could be somehow a strange phenomenon for him.??

Remember, this is not the story of the mother of a millionaire or billionaire. This is the story of an ordinary rural woman who walked barefoot and a mother of an ordinary civil global citizen. A woman who lived a non-regrettable life. This is the life of a great mother whom wild birds cried for.?

I am very proud to tell you who my mother was. She was an incredible person who had spent successful life while she lived in this world. Let me tell you who she was...?

My mother was a unique person. Every mother is unique but mine was special. She was a great gift for all of us at home. I believe that if you don't have a father you may be half-orphan to live a life but if you don't have a mother you are an empty person to dwell. This is only meant for those who know a mother. My father doesn't like to enter our house if my mother isn't at home. Whenever she gets sick, all types of depression dwell in my parent's home. She is an adhesive who bonded us to live together cohesively.?

Mothers are like worker bees. Bees are one of the most hardworking creatures on earth. In a bee colony, it is only females who produce food and reproduce new bees. They make the sweetest stuff, honey, on earth that no technology can copy. The drones [male bees] are useless creatures taking care of their offspring, except for reproduction like any animal creature does. They have no knowledge and skill to collect flower nectar to produce honey. My narrative is not to downgrade the value fathers or males in general have but my point is to emphasize females have the best qualities to offer to this world. By the way, my mother doesn't know her mother but she loves her father more than anything else. So, this is to indicate that fathers are also lovable in their regard.?

My mother was born into a spiritual family who had lived with lots of gratitude to their Almighty. She was the third child of her five siblings. Her name was Desta (means happy) and her father was Abejehu Zeleke. Her father was one of the wealthy individuals in their village who possess lots of cattle [owning lots of cattle is an indication of wealth in the rural community. This ranking still applies in many rural parts of Ethiopia. Bill Gates's money is nothing for that farmer if he doesn't own at least 1,000s of oxen or camels]. That's the key criteria to measure wealth in many parts of the rural community in Ethiopia. When our mother tells about her father, she always says he was like a saint on earth. He has less worry about this earthly life. He has not much interest to be wealthy. But, his life is abundant, unlike his fellows who labor day and night, 365 days. He was a very calm person. When he starts speaking, the wisdom of words floods from his mouth. As a result, he was one of the highly respected persons in his area.?

My mother used to tell us her father married the most beautiful woman, that was her mother. My mother doesn't know her mother because she died when my mother was so young while giving birth to the fifth child. She was telling us what she heard from her older sister. Her father's heart was broken after he lost his soulmate; my grandmother. My grandmother left all the five small kids whose first child was about ten years only. As a rural father whose life dwells on routine outside farming all days of the year, experiencing such a heartbreaking incident was beyond imagination. He has to marry another woman who will help him in taking care of these small children. That's normal in the rural community even today.

My mother used to tell us her stepmother was so miserable. While everything is full to eat at home, her stepmother used to punish them by not giving them food. Then, her father was not able to see the suffering of his children and divorced that lady. Again, he married another woman. She became crueler than the previous one. He tolerated the rest of his life with that crueler woman fearing the cruelest will come if he arranges a third marriage. My mother tells us while he was suffering from the assault of his wife, he used to thank God. Thanking God during such a miserable time, when his children were suffering from hunger while there is abundant food to eat at home, requires a higher level of spiritual mindset.

When my mother sees me thanking everything she always says to me I have inherited a few of the good qualities of her father [but not all]. I have encountered betrayals from people, especially money betrayals repeatedly bankrupted trying different businesses. I never complained about the loss of it. I never sensed it. I felt I will get it in the future. Even my closest friends admire my capacity to tolerate any monetary losses. It doesn't matter to me. One of my friends said, 'had I lost such an amount of money like you, either my heart fails or my blood pressure could have killed me now.'?

I learned every life skill from my mother. As I said, my mother was so special. I am not saying because she is my mother. But, because she is one of the mothers in that village whom many young children wish to be theirs. She has an amazing personality. If I start writing about her, then I need another book. Expect it next time.

She was a devoted prayer. She prays for everything. In terms of the quality of life, she lives the ordinary life as any woman in the area. She walked barefoot. There are no basic facilities in the village. But, she was extremely happy all the time for the very basic reason the sun rises and sets. She used to greet everyone passing around whether she knows it or not. She was challenged when she came to Addis Ababa.?She saw no one passing around does not greet each other. She was confused why this happens in the urban place.?

I tried to explain to her some of the urban cultures. But, she was hardly convinced to accept this crazy urban culture. She greeted at least half of the people who walked around her when we were going to a church together. That was amazing to me. Learning from her life, I often prefer to start my email with 'Greetings!' Many of my work colleagues may notice me if they read this article. I can't pass a person whom I know without greeting. If a person passes without greeting me, I will feel bad. That's one of the situations I encountered when I traveled to Europe. People walk so fast and I rarely see people greeting each other on the roadside.?

One of the most impressive qualities of my mother was even she greeted cattle like she does humans when she passes around. She never crossed the cattle passing and she waits until all of them cross the road. This is one of the greatest traditional practices a younger person never crosses an old person passing as part of respect to an elderly. But, my mother also does the same for cattle. After I learn some meditation principles, I realized that it is the indication of one's complete awareness of everything around.??

Once upon a time, my mother became so sick with deadly liver disease. It was in 2004. All village residents were so worried about her sickness. My brother called and told me that my mother is severely sick. I felt so bad the moment I heard that news. All my body started shivering so much. I was living in Addis Ababa by that time, the capital city of Ethiopia and I traveled the next day. I didn't expect that I can find her alive. Luckily, she was alive. I took her immediately to Addis Ababa for a better medical service.

It was the first and the longest journey for my mother to travel to Addis Ababa. The rest of the family and the community members were also so worried about such a long trip for my mother. Everyone was crying when I told them that I am going to take her to Addis Ababa. No one was sure if she will return alive. But, I have to use the last option to save my mother's life. I had to take her to the best hospitals in the country as much as I can.

Behold, a miracle happened the next morning my mother left her house for Addis Ababa. The house garden was surrounded by a large number of birds chanting around. No one has seen such a large number of birds in the village surrounding somebody's house. Everyone was confused by the scene. Some neighbors assumed this must be a sign of bad luck. They thought my mother will not return alive. They were whispering to each other. Some of them were crying as if it is true by seeing the situation of birds around our house. The birds were creating chaos in the village.?

The birds' situation was a strange scene for the community members in that village. On one side, it was the second day since a very respected woman and an icon of that village has become deathly ill and left the village where she lived for about 50 years since her birth to a distant place for medication. On the other side, it was strange they see lots of birds chanting around her house the next morning she left it. The neighbors were talking alone silently. The situation created a lot of frustration and worry among the villagers; among men and women and children and adults.?

All those frustrations were the results of their worries my mother will not return alive. That moment would be a feeling of great sorrow for that village to see if that happen if that woman dies. So, all were worried. It must be a great woman whose plaque would be named on her grave to remember her model character in that community. So, all worried so much not to lose her. She is the spice of the villagers whose presence sweetens the village life. But, the villagers were worried about the coincidence between her travel and the birds' cry.?

Finally, my older brother realized something amazing. He knew that my mother used to put some water and food for the birds every morning in the garden around the house. So, birds used to come to drink water and take some grains to eat every morning. Now, that ritual was interrupted because my mother is so sick and had traveled to another distant place. Now, no one has the habit to put food and drink for birds in the morning. Neither the rest of the family members reminded my mother's morning habit of feeding wild birds.?

Birds find nothing in the garden to drink and eat the next morning my mother left when they visit our house compound. Now, that woman who used to walk up early in the morning before birds start singing to put water and drink for them to drink and eat is not in that village. So, the birds realized that something wrong had gone in this house. They were not able to see that woman who used to go in and out of that house doing household chores. What happened to that woman? What happened to this house? Wild birds were asking each other. The birds started chanting a lot. Who knows some of these wild birds may have wished to fly with her. Or, some of them may be sending prayers for my mother to recover soon and return home alive. All of the birds were chanting in their language creating varying sounds. Nobody was able to understand what the birds were doing and talking to each other. However, it was sure for everybody around that village that the birds were crying for my mother. Nobody realized that this number and types of birds do exist in the village before they see that day. Birds were chanting and chanting and chanting, and chanting and chanting. Nobody ever realized before that my mother was feeding such a large number of wild birds in the village.?

This reminded me of a similar story I read circulating on social media [I am not able to find on the web to exactly narrate the story and there are also issues checking but the photo of a pigeon sitting on a sick person in that hospital is true. The nurses might have exaggerated the story but let's assume a great story is true because it teaches an interesting lesson to all of us].?

Let me begin the story. It happened in Red Cross Hospital in Greece, Athens in 2013. A person was severely sick and admitted to an ICU [Intensive Care Unit]. That person had no one visiting to ask about his health in that hospital. No one was following up with him except the nurses and doctors. The doctors and nurses saw it so strange because that person has no one around. But, one thing was visiting that person every other day. That thing was a pigeon. It comes over the window and seats on the body of that sick man at the hospital.?When the nurses enter the room, that pigeon flies away. The nurses frequently saw the scene but no one realized it. One day, after some weeks, a person comes to that sick person's room. The nurses thought that person is a relative of the sick man. They were surprised why he didn't visit that sick man for such a long time. The man started saying to the nurses. He said, 'look I am not a relative to this person. I know this person giving grains to birds in a forest nearby the hospital. He brings grains for birds every day. So, this person is so kind'. The nurses were surprised by what they heard because they know a bird was visiting that sick person every other day. It became a social media circular for some time.??

Look, what we know from this is that everything is connected in this world; not only our nature but also our spirits.???

Let me bring you to my mother…

I have a strong belief that our mother's prayers protect us [all her children] from any danger. I am the second born alive child of seven. She also had experienced the stillbirth of two and the death of an infant.

My mother used to tell us stories when we were children. Because she is busy all day, she does some household chores after all the family members eat dinner and sleep. As my parents have many cattle, she has to extract butter from yogurt every late evening. Because there is no electricity, we use firewood to light and warm the house. We set fire and seat rounding it. She starts, swinging yogurt in a pot to extract the butter. This is the traditional method used in all parts of the country in Ethiopia to extract butter from yogurt. It takes about two hours to get a good amount of butter. So, to keep us awake during that evening time, she used to tell us many stories.?

Most of the time she used to tell us pity stories. She used to tell a mystical story about thunder lighting and a pity girl. It was fearful. That must be the reason why I fear thunder and lightning so much. My mother also fears it so much and my lovely wife too.?

She also taught us important life skills to live a happy life with others. Respect others, not quarrel with others, not tell lies, not take anyone's item, be diligent, believe in God, and so on.

Amazing memory! It is the sixth month today, the same date Monday, January 24th, 2014 Ethiopian calendar, I heard about the passing of my great Mother with great sorrow. Okay, everything passes but that time was so difficult. I was remembering the date alone. I am amazed that my lovely wife was also counting alone the date of my mother's passing. Amazing heart connection between us.

Death is the most challenging side of this mysterious life. You have nothing to do. Just only accept it as it happens. Only one chance.?

Anyways that great mother has a lot of stories to tell! I know she is with her Holly Father because those birds and cattle are the living witnesses of that. I wish her Soul Rest In Peace.

She has paid an incredible sacrifice to my education. I have the liability. With the help of God, I am planning to write a book entitled "Labor of Love" [please don't take my title nor market your book in this title] and I am also thinking to build the Orthodox Tewahido Church in her birthplace. My dream happens if only God permits.?

Thank you for reading!!!

Note:- For sure, you may have liked it. Apologies if my English is poor and find it difficult to understand and I need a good book editor to edit/write the full story of Labor of Love. I am also interested to publish this article if anyone is interested to publish in a Journal. My family and I are now very comfortable.