Elephants never forget, but people do. Like Mama, some people get Alzheimer's. I went back to school a few years ago and got two degrees in Yoga. When you graduate and become certified, the instructors and Swamis assign you a spiritual name. A name carefully selected for you based on their understanding of your overall persona. Most students use it when they start teaching. The name given to me was Vinayaka and I loved it!
I was very attached to my chosen name. Vinayaka is a man with an elephants head and he symbolizes overcoming obstacles and was the protector of his mother. How perfect - that was my life story! Overcoming obstacles was my middle name. I had obstacles every day when I was a caregiver for Mama. Vinayaka is also another name for Ganesh, a sacred deity. Many people would say I was a saint when I was a caregiver, but I just did what I had to do. I learned to overcome many obstacles and was the protector of Mama up until the very end. Maybe it was all something that was just meant to be. Cosmic, Kharmic... call it what you want.(If you can't view the video above, click on the link: Chanting OM with Mama)
During our nightly exercise routine I'd often add some Yoga exercises into them. It was like when a parent sneaks a little veggie into the meal. Sometimes I'd add three part breathing, sometimes gentle basic poses and other times we'd chant the Yogic "OM" mantra. Mama always got a kick out of chanting because she loved to sing. She preferred show tunes, but who wouldn't? She was a trooper and in this short video you can hear Mama chanting and having a hell of a time, we both couldn't stop laughing. Laughter is the one thing that always helped us overcome our obstacles and that's what this "elephant" will never forget.
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