Sometimes you gotta learn to love tradition!

Ama Vasya today... A day i never quite truly understood. The dark night with a full moon after 14 days, the monthly prayers offerred to our dear ones passed away, our ancestors. A remembrance of their lives, and an offerring of water to their souls..?

As a child, i often watched my dad perform this prayer every month, though i did not know then, that he was doing the 'tharpan' for his father, who had passed away at an early age. Nor did i imagine that i would be doing the same tharpan prayers for my late father, ever since 2003.

At that same span of three months, in 2003, my grandfather(mother's dad), and my grandmother(father's mum) also passed away...sending me to a crazy time of questioning, 'purpose' !! ..trying to learn and understand the rituals.. i slowly do - because it needs to be done. Sometimes you gotta learn to love tradition.

The souls' existence on another plane and still being with us in a sense, is what my belief says. On ama vasya day,when there is no moon visible, it is said that the plane on another level, passes one new day, , which to us is one month in our calendar, on this existence. And as we await our daily meal, it is this, the reason why we offer black-thil seeds and water, whilst doing the 'tharpan,' to signify an offering that transcends planes, every day to the departed soul, and to also feed the needy, so as to give the lost souls - in remembrance, and to give our own spirit, strength.

Never thought i would be able to do this, but today i await the ama vasya day, so as to relive a closeness to my dad and the ancestors, that i do miss dearly. A way to say i am doing what i know you would have done for me...