Gone with the wind

Oh heart, if one should say to you that the soul perishes like the body, answer that the flower withers, but the seed remains!

-- Kahlil Gibran

Few people make a profound impact in your life, and to lose them is akin to losing life itself. 

This is about a man who lettered to me compassion, excellence, language, wit and nuances of life itself! As a renowned educationist whose standards often surpassed excellence, he was a visionary whose courage to embrace change remains unparalleled. His steadfastness and commitment to educate many generations and liberate them by bringing into their lives a new light has often been remarked as commendable and has been appreciated in multitudes. 

So when the news was broken to me that he passed away, my grief, although unexpressed, knew no bounds! But soon, I found comfort in Rajaji's words in his rendition of the Mahabharata, which I have recounted here before, that "It is not true wisdom to be impatient with Death or to grieve immoderately for those who die. There is no reason to pity those who pass away. We may have reason indeed to grieve for those who remain."

But what strikes me most is how he left us, like how Kenny Rogers rightly sang in the Gambler that "the best you can hope for is to die in your sleep." 

Footnotes:

My beloved Uncle, scion of our family, guide, philosopher and friend left us at this time, and will be missed forever! He, who showed us direction and light, earnestly and selflessly, will be celebrated for all time to come! He continues to live on, in our hearts and minds and will do so for time immemorial and has thus attained immortality!