“India Supera’s birthday is today. She loved the South Indian delicacy of dosa and chutney whenever she visited South India. She gave better lives to many of the poor, suffering, downtrodden, widows, destitutes and the hungry. Poor feeding of dosa and chutney will commence shortly.”
Dear Friends,
As I was thinking about how to honor my mom’s birthday and her legacy of kindness, this touching note from our friend in Puttaparthi, India immediately brightened my day. Celebrating her birthday on September 4th, he attributes the seva work he does to India (the person), saying she taught him how to do it. In the process, he also understands how much my mom loved food and loved to feed people. Giving downtrodden and hungry people both attention and food, feeds their bellies and souls. That is the heart of seva work.
In fact, my mom was a master of helping people see that finding your path in life is really about planting a seed. It’s about “simply” starting somewhere with something. Thinking about what one simple thing you can do to change your world for the better and starting with that. From there you can start to realize your limitless potential. Many think you need to be “qualified” to do something, yet if you just start to do it, you start to learn how to do it and how to do it better. Before you know it, you’ve changed the world.
When one of us suffers, we all suffer. Anything we can do in life to remove any of that suffering, benefits us all. As India lived her life, she planted seeds of kindness everywhere and served as a model for others to learn how to reduce our collective suffering.
This year more than ever I’ve seen how many of the seeds of kindness she planted have grown into vast forests and flourishing gardens. Friends from all over the world have reached out to me, especially after India’s online celebration of life, to tell me the positive paths their lives have taken because of seeds that were planted in them by India and the Feathered Pipe.
In celebrating Feathered Pipe’s rich history and seeing it’s ripple effect of interesting people in the world, please read our latest interview with my dear auntie Net Net (known to others as Jeannette Herman). I spent much of my early youth with her as we traveled the world together on all kinds of crazy (mis)adventures. Reading her interview, I am once again reminded of the incredible synchronicity that has blossomed and thrived at the Feathered Pipe since the beginning. When you are open for something, it simply manifests.
During this holiday weekend of remembrance and solidarity in service to each other, I invite you to join me and Feathered Pipe in planting a seed to manifest kindness. That can be a smile, a poor feeding, a donation to your favorite cause, taking time to be good to yourself, volunteering, absolutely anything kind that can help reduce suffering in the world. Doesn’t that feel empowering?
With love, kindness and a big slice of birthday cake,
Crystal Water