Widows of India

After seeing the segment on OWNTV when Oprah went to India visiting the widows of India as a widow this gave many AHA MOMENTS that were never ending as I sat there to watch.  As a widow thinking to myself that it is bad enough that you are struck with such over powering pain that on top of it you are shunned upon, this is no way for any widow to be bared on top of what already is happening.  The pain of losing your loved one is enough to carry yet alone being cast aside to be looked upon as a curse or no good.  Every widow deserves nothing but extra love as well as support through their most trying of times,  that no one should ever have to bare.  Seeing all of what is left to these women after losing their loved ones passed took a hold of my heart to make me feel such huge heartache for these women. 

It was as though all of me just wanted to touch each of these ladies hearts and let them know that they are not any different from anyone else, if anything they were sacred to of been touched with the love of true love.  No one person who bares grieving should be led down a path to more grief, what we carry on our shoulders is enough to carry, adding to that makes something so painful feel as though there is no more hope, to that it is not ever the truth.  Widows build to anew and building to that opens all of us to more beauty that we could of ever imagined, yet being so consumed in to darkness along with such hatred can only make one think that what ever hope was there is gone.  Each of these ladies should know in their heart that they are a gift, that soon enough they will spread their wings to fly even higher then before.  Being a widow is not a choice, if it was not one lady would choose it, so why act as though we are damaged goods?.  If anything we find a power in us that no other could of noticed due to the huge strength we have to find within us to move forward in such horrific pain.  Do not even talk "Victim" either that has no room around the word widow. 

While watching such intense emotions went through all of me, it made me realise that here where I was in such pain was not at all even remotely as close as what these widows go through every day.  I thought to myself that this pain I bare no matter how hard it was would never be as bad as what I was seeing in front of me.  On this day I do believe a lot of my pain had left me due to the fact of the saying "no matter how bad you got it someone else out there has it worse".  On this day a little of my grief, a little of my pain had left to stay in the past, that all of a sudden I felt appreciation, I felt gratefulness. 

These widows of India are not anything but HEROES, to me they are strong, powerful, ever lasting true love.  If I can see all of this then why is it so hard for everyone around them where they are see it?.  With my love as well as all of my heart I know that one day this horrific darkness shed upon them will lift.  If I as one person can shed light to help, to want to change things in this world then others to will join my light to make it a light brighter than anything to be shed upon these ladies to one day be looked to as the HEROES they are, that they always were.  Compassion. love, is what their hearts deserve, it is what all that grieve deserve, nothing less.  To be a widow I say from my heart is a gift, we all rise back up above the pain each and every day proving that not anything can keep a person touched with the power of love down.  Widows bare a pain yet at the same time we bare true love that in return reaches out in to the world to love with no limits to all that cross our paths, that there is a gift, that there is something in us to make our world a little stronger, a little brighter, so do not look to these ladies as any less then being LOVE, love that can change the world.

I had many privileges to speak with Mohini Giri in email (thanks to Oprah and Maya),  after watching my heart felt strongly to want to be able to reach out  to them all, to just embrace their hearts, to let them know that I CARED.  This lady is a lady that the world could use more of, she was gracious, genuine, loving, she is a heart of pure love.  Through here I seen that this little amazing lady has changed so many,  that if she could then maybe just maybe one day I could change what it was I felt so compassionate for in my heart.  Through her I see endless possibilities if you always put nothing but love forward in to what ever it is you want to change.  Mohini Giri is a lady of nothing but absolute love, a lady with power in her to change the world, to changing the lives of so many.

Being a widow no matter where you live is not ever a curse, it will always be a gift, to others who think different then one day they will have no choice but to see that what they feel is not the truth by being blinded by our bright light that shines into this world.  I want all women know in their hearts that it is not any kind of bad luck due to being where you are,  that in time you find the power to realise you are nothing less than a beautiful soul to gift this world.  I do know in my heart that all widows in India will be able to walk the walk in their life freely, that people will see them as I do, great bright lights that bare a gift of love for this world.

MOHINI GIRI

Dr. V. Mohini Giri, Social Activist, Writer, Scholar and a leader in the women's movement, is the voice for women, peace and justice in India and South Asia.

Specialising in human rights and gender justice. She is renowned both nationally and internationally for her four decades of committed work in empowering women politically, socially, legally and economically. Has worked relentlessly for the cause of National Integration. Has done pioneering work for the war affected families since the past four decades. Apart from rehabilitating war widows she spearheaded rehabilitation program of 1984 riot victims where 12000 Sikh families were housed. In Godhra, the marginalized riot affected women have been rehabilitated. In Jammu & Kashmir Dr. Giri is running a production cum training centre and a home for the militancy affected widows of Kashmir. In the tsunami affected areas of Nagapattinam she has been running vocational training and skill development centres for the tsunami affected. In Vrindavan she has been running a home for the elderly widows of Vrindavan since the past one decade and now she has completed construction of a home called “Ma-Dham” to rehabilitate 500 more elderly widows.

Has travelled extensively in conflict zones for peace as special envoy for women and improved internal and external peace prospects in India and the South Asia Region. She is the Founder of Women’s Initiative for Peace in South Asia (WIPSA). Dr. Giri is the Chairperson of the Guild of Service, an NGO in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations Member organisation representing interests and doing initiatives for India's widows - a unique constituency and a leader of the Internal Peace Movement that is playing key role among sometimes aggravated and anxious communal factions within the country. She is a fine person, a heroic leader and a courageous advocate for that in which she believes.

She is also well known and respected from many constituencies, although not a politician, she is a visionary and an advocate for the vulnerable in her own and global society. Her voice should be heard, her views shared and her directions should benefit from the broader global community who wants to build on just, peaceful and inclusive foundation in India and elsewhere.

Born at Lucknow in 1938 belonging to an illustrious family of scholar Dr. V. S Ram and a family of civil servants, musicians and armed forces. Mohini Giri is also the daughter-in-law of Late Shri V.V. Giri, former President of India. Proficient in nine languages.

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NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE LIKE THIS

Ostracized by society, thousands of India's widows flock to the holy city of Vrindavan waiting to die. They are found on side streets, hunched over with walking canes, their heads shaved and their pain etched by hundreds of deep wrinkles in their faces.

These Hindu widows, the poorest of the poor, are shunned from society when their husbands die, not for religious reasons, but because of tradition -- and because they're seen as a financial drain on their families.

They cannot remarry. They must not wear jewelry. They are forced to shave their heads and typically wear white. Even their shadows are considered bad luck.

THEY ARE NOTHING BUT GRACE AND BRIGHT LIGHT :)

All these ladies are nothing but courageous, beautiful, bright lights they inspire me to want to be the best at all that I do, that in time this little ole me could change anything I put my mind to.  They show me that in us no matter how hard of times we have that there is always room to keep loving as well as pushing forward.  I just know in my heart that soon there will no longer be such cruelty towards them, that in time they will be looked to but nothing less than TRUE HEROES.