Poetry
A Letter For My Bhateeji - Niece
by SHELBY STEINHAUER
To My Dear Liv Kaur:
You are forty days old - a tiny lioness cub, so fierce and yet so fragile, a world of possibilities within you.
My heart brims with love and often I am overwhelmed, tears coming unbidden to my eyes. I have been thinking about what to write to you for some time now, because no words seem adequate. Then one night, as I held you close to my heart, your baby-scented forehead tucked under my chin, I felt the answer well up within me, a quiet spring rising forth from a pure and blessed source.
In my heart, I have been talking to you for over a year, before you even agreed to come. But when I saw you in December on the day of your birth, a mere two hours old, I couldn't speak. I tried, but there were no words, only a flurry of memories of the past year rushing forth to meet the reality before me.
Seeing you there - your angelic face, your tiny hands, your perfect lips - seeing you there when we have been connected soul to soul for all this time, was the most miraculous moment of my life. Do you remember when I first saw you - before your soul and your body were one? I am crying even as I write to you because you agreed to come and be with us.
I met your mother two years ago when your brother was a student in my class, a talented young sardar proud of his heritage and his faith. Your mother came by my classroom one evening with daal and rice, offering dinner, friendship and, over time, so much more.
As our conversations turned to our common beliefs, I marveled at the beautiful simplicity of Sikhi and at how wonderfully it complemented my own Jewish faith. Oh little Liv Kaur, I think in your infant wisdom you already know the depth of your mother's gift to me: a beautiful friendship and an invitation to explore the perfect teachings of the Guru.
And until I met your mother, I had no idea what I was missing. My journeys since then have brought me to a Sikh school in Baru Sahib, and to Paonta Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, and Harmandar Sahib. My Jewish faith has deepened and my love for Sikhi has blossomed. I live in awe of the Oneness that I feel when I bow before the Guru Granth Sahib and experience the presence of the One who sent my own ancestors the Torah over four thousand years ago.
I am so blessed; but until that night, Liv Kaur, holding you close, I didn't fully understand what I have been learning and feeling these past two years. Then suddenly I knew. There it was before me, as it has always been within me: the Sikh path that I have been walking as a visitor, as a guest of your mother - a path I love, cherish, and respect - a path that has gradually become my own, has led me straight to ... well, you.
Waheguru embraced your Jewish maasi, who had never met a Sikh in her first 36 years of life, and drew her into the merciful grace of the One Light to walk the path beside a beautiful little singhni named Liv Kaur. My sweet angel, I will always walk beside you in love and faith. I wish for you all the Guru's benevolent grace and protection for all the days of your life.
May Waheguru, Adonai, Allah, the One ... bless and keep you. May he ever watch over and guide your parents who brought you into this world and also your brother who came before you.
Here are the words I spoke to you as if in a dream, a poem imprinted upon your mother's heart:
Into the great ocean of Fire
I peered
And caught a glimpse
Of you ...
Small but graceful spark
Falling in and rising up
Radiant beauty
In Perfect Union
Absorbed in the ecstasy
Of the One Light.
A prayer
An invitation proffered:
"Come forth and join
This sacred journey
Beautiful soulbride;
Join us for a season."
These words
Called out to you
In supplication
"Won't you endure
The separation
Of one lifetime?"
Humbled and grateful
That you heard
Amazed in the moment
When I knew
A sudden dawning
Your spark ignited
You said yes.
Enlightened soul
Illuminated child
Drawn from the Fire
Offering in sacrifice
Your answer to
A whisper of love
From deep inside my heart.
Thank you for saying yes
You are so welcome in this world
Love, love, and more love, before and after,
... from your Maasi
January 28, 2011
Conversation about this article
1: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), January 28, 2011, 10:27 AM.
A wonderful welcome to a little bundle of joy - so much so that it leaves one speechless. I am sure the family - the new parents, brother and the oh so young lady - will treasure your letter from the heart. Thank you so much.
2: Jagmeet Kaur (Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India), January 28, 2011, 10:53 AM.
Beautiful and evocative. Left me speechless! Love and God bless.
3: Inni Kaur (Fairfield, CT, U.S.A.), January 28, 2011, 12:29 PM.
May every child be blessed with a maasi like you!
4: Your Dad & Trudi (Marietta, Georgia ), January 28, 2011, 12:35 PM.
The eloquence and beauty of your writing was inspiring and it left me to wonder. Did you get this God-given talent through me or did I get it from you?
5: Chintan Singh (San Jose, California, U.S.A.), January 28, 2011, 12:51 PM.
Totally beautiful! Is the inspiration of the poem a shabad from Guru Granth Sahib? If so, can the author provide us the page where the shabad can be read?
6: G.S. Pannu (Mableton, Georgia, U.S.A.), January 28, 2011, 2:49 PM.
Wonderful gift for the little soul from a wonderful heart, amazing words of love and spirit. May Waheguru bless both of these pious souls.
7: Gayley (Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S.A.), January 28, 2011, 4:11 PM.
Now you have left me speechless. Such love and beauty. Thank you for sharing this gift, Shelby.
8: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), January 28, 2011, 5:31 PM.
To have a blessing of such a soulful maasi, comibined with an angelic baby - a perfect painting! But it does make it difficult arithmetic to count such blessings. "Poota maataa kee aasees" [GGS:496.4] - "O son, this is your mother's hope and prayer ..."
9: Trilochan Kaur Bhatia (Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S.A.), January 28, 2011, 9:27 PM.
Amazing ... this is so touching. Shelby, you are a great writer and a very loving soul. Gurmeet is blessed to have you around.
10: Shelby (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), January 29, 2011, 10:14 AM.
Chintan Singh ji: I looked for Liv's name in gurbani and found it in several places. After I had written the poem, I went back and realized how similar the sentiments were to the verses in Sri Raag, Fifth Mahalla [GGS:46]. It is a hauntingly beautiful shabad, one that must have stayed with me as I wrote. Also, one of my first introductions to Sikhi two years ago was a book called 'The Sacred Writings of the Sikhs', lent to me by Liv Kaur's mother. There is a verse in it by Guru Gobind Singh (not from the Guru Granth Sahib) that speaks of our souls as rising and falling out of a divine fire. This writing is always on my mind, as it is what I believe about our comings and goings from this world. My own faith background leaves open the question of the afterlife; we do not dwell on it much and leave it in the hands of God. There is no real concept of heaven or hell, such as in Christianity. So when I saw what I believed in the writings of the tenth Guru, I felt so at peace and wanted to learn more.
11: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), January 29, 2011, 1:49 PM.
A tiny baby yet in her mom's tummy had a prepaid to talk to God directly as a free local call. She did not have a name yet and asked God, "You are sending me to earth and, being so tiny and helpless, who will take care of me?" "Well, let's see ... You'll have your mom to hold you close to her heart, and your Dad to take care of you. Also, I have assigned an angel by the name of Shelby who will coo to you and sing the loveliest songs and rock you gently." "But, dear God, I won't know the language of the earth." "Don't worry," said God, "Shelby will also be your teacher and will teach you how to speak." "But I will miss you hugely, dear God, what will I do?" "OK, when you want to remember me, simply call for your Mom!"
12: Inni Kaur (Fairfield, CT, U.S.A.), January 29, 2011, 4:38 PM.
Sangat Singh ji, your stories enrich our lives!
13: Harminder Kaur (Chandigarh, Punjab), January 31, 2011, 3:00 AM.
Blessed Bhateeji, Blessed maasi! May this divine relationship help us and Liv Kaur to perceive the celestial oneness of His creation.
14: Karen Hardman (Dunwoody, Georgia, U.S.A.), January 31, 2011, 9:08 AM.
What beautiful writing by Shelby and beautiful pictures of precious little Liv! Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us! My heart is tingling!
15: Carol Rhoades (Roswell, New Mexico, U.S.A.), February 02, 2011, 1:17 PM.
What a precious letter and poem to sweet Liv Kaur! Your words, Shelby, touched my heart when I read them. Such a tender tribute and legacy to this wee baby and her parents. Thank you for sharing this.