Category: Manjula Gives

Happy Birthday Manjula

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Today Manjula would have been 48 and it’s yet another reason to celebrate and thank her for the time we were together (we still are).

Manjula sent messages with her love and for me to know all is well on her soul’s journey to her new life. She’s most definitely not a ‘hungry ghost’.

Here’s a video message from my love. Previously we’ve also heard from her via messengers

Manjula captured my heart

We’ve done a few things that Manjula would like and maybe make her giggle. Like the remembering garden. we’ve just planted in the park opposite our house.

She’s left audio and video recordings which I’m using to help write our story. We’ll release some of the videos in 2022

So what’s a hungry ghost? One of the tales that will be featured in our story, to be published before we reach what would have been her 50th birthday.

How long will I love you?

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My friend Zetta posted about a funeral today Where they played: How long will I love you? Sung by Ellie Goulding. So I listened to it

Today, before a small piano concert at a friends house here in Mysore I was introducing Manjula to a few more people.

Yes, I’ll introduce Manjula anywhere and everywhere. I was talking about the new garden we were creating to help celebrate her.

I explained that it’s over two years ago that she died, sometimes that feels a long time ago, others as if it was yesterday.

I know there is no limit to my unconditional everlasting love and liked the song.

…

How long will I love you?
As long as stars are above you
And longer if I can
How long will I need you?
As long as the seasons need to
Follow their plan

How long will I be with you?
As long as the sea is bound to
Wash up on the sand

How long will I want you?
As long as you want me to
And longer by far
How long will I hold you?
As long as your father told you
As long as you can

How long will I give to you?
As long as I live through you
However long you say

How long will I love you?
As long as stars are above you
And longer if I may

How long will I love you?
As long as stars are above you

Yes, it’s forever, in this life and any others. 🌞

Shopping with a purpose

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Don’t consider Tanuja and I to be sensible shoppers.

If our trip to the nursery is anything to go by, we’re the sort to go to the supermarket for staples and come back with puddings, the exotic rather than the plain, the icing while neglecting the cake.

We’ve got a great selection of flowers but our eyes were distracted by the shapely coloured and aromatic roses.

The problem is, as we knew, but didn’t care, they’re not a lot of use for the new Manjula’s garden in the park.

Why? you might ask.

Because people pick the flowers in the morning for their puja rituals.

So I thought I’d create a mini rose garden inside our gate.

I wish I’d done it for Manjula a few years ago as she would have loved it.

I started writing this post in a light-hearted jokiness way, only to realise this…..

I placed some of the roses out the front door but inside our gate. Within less than one day someone had stolen the roses.

Clearly these people haven’t any thought that the flowers are there for the enjoyment of all, rather than the selfish ritualistic needs of a few.

We’ve yet to plant out our flowers in Manjula’s garden and I seriously wonder if any of the flowers will survive, if I don’t employ a 24/7 guard.

It’s even worse with the roses in the next park. They are carefully nurtured by the gardeners but people go in and steal the whole plant.

We need some English old fashioned park signs ‘don’t pick the flowers.’

Another case for the missing dharma detective.

I found her

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Exactly two years ago I appealed for Cinderella.

Manjula had some beautiful shoes but her feet were so tiny finding someone they would fit was a real challenge.

Well I’ve found another Cinderella, or at least a lovely young woman who also has teeny feet.

It’s so fitting (ha ha) that the artist who has connected so well with MAnjula and now painted two beautiful portraits should be the one to take her shoes.

I’m so pleased to find this happy solution.

Farrell Factoid

It’s taken two years as most Indian women don’t have such teeny feet.

My feet are also quite small at six and a half, not that anyone has ever offered me small shoes. 🤭

one wasn’t enough

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At Christmas I gave myself a wonderful gift

It was such a characterful portrait of beautiful Manjula. The enigmatic artist knows MAnjula, connected and found her spirit.

I just had to have another.

I may seem greedy but I just can’t get enough of MAnjula (you may have worked that out) and especially how Priyanka brings out many facets of my beautiful wife.

There’s even more significant detail to explore in this one.

P was guided by a photograph from shortly after we were engaged in 2015

Now where can I hang her?

Manjula’s Messengers

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Last night I completed chapter eight of our story Full Full (working title), of draft three (with many more to come) it was particularly difficult to work on, as it related the story of her last year. In some ways it also helped.

This morning I was outside our house, sitting on a stone slab bench, beneath our wonderful strong shading tree. I was waiting for my neighbour, for our morning cycle.

A friend came along

It was a messenger from Manjula to reveal she knew what I was doing, supported me and sent her love.

It’s a red eye butterfly.
It continued with me for over six kilometres, as I cycled
Another messenger from MAnjula

With critical timing.

On Facebook this MAnjula Memory popped up from our last visit to England four years ago.

I’ve had a few messengers now.

Equally impressive was the circling dragonfly and even pretty moths get in on the act.

More messages.

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As we went for this afternoons walk a giant butterfly buzzed me the moment I left the main door.

I discretely followed it to try and take a photo but I could only get this silhouette before it flew away.

An hour later Lucie and returned home to it resting on the door knob. only to surprise me again and land on one of our windows.

From outside.

It has the scary images of two reflective eyes on its wings, it’s wing span is seven inches or more and now it’s gone.

It arrived a day after I had, once again, in exasperation called out to Manjula complaining that I couldn’t feel her presence or hear a message.

From inside

I’m happier now.

Tanuja tells me it’s a moth. So now we know messages come via Dragonflies, Butterflies and Moths.

We’ll keep you posted as more messengers are added to the list. 🙂🙃🤭😉🌞