Week 7 Storytelling: Dying Peacefully

Dying Peacefully 

It was two-thirty in the morning when I received the phone call about my grandfather being in the hospital.  Being away from college had its pros and cons. Pros I had freedom, cons when something happens with your family you’re miles away.  My grandpa Willie was one of the best people I knew.  Actually he was the best guy I know.  I lived 9 hours away from my hometown, so I got home as quick as I could.  As soon as I arrived in town I head straight to the hospital.  The doctors explained to me that my grandfather had had a heart attack, and was in critical condition.  They told me that at the moment he wouldn't be able to talk.  Also that it would be a while before he woke up, maybe even weeks.

My family and I sat day in and day out with my grandpa in the hospital room. We all went around telling our most favorite memories with him. For my brother it was when he took him to his first hockey game, and for my mom it was it was when he told her he loved her like his own daughter.  My father talked about him like he was the wisest man he had ever meet. And my grandmother told us of there one of a kind love story.  For me it was when grandpa Willie would take me fishing. Finally, after four days my grandfather started to open his eyes.

(Source Google) 

We each took our times to talk with him and squeeze his neck.  The doctors suggest that he stay in the hospital for another week to get a little stronger.  It was nice to have him join on with all the great stories we had to tell about him.  It was all going good until a day before he was to be released. He had a stroke and this left him extremely weak, and the doctors didn't feel well about it.  My grandpa started showing weak signs and told us he was ready to go. We told him to not stop fighting and that he would pull through. But he explained to us that it wasn’t that he was done fighting. He explained to that he had had a great life, that he had do his good, and had the love of his life for over 50 years.  He told us that he was ready to let go, and go peace.  And that's exactly how he went peacefully surrounded by family.

Authors note: This story is based off the character Drona, from Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata.  The only way Grandpa Willie and Drona were alike was the way they died.  They both wished to die peacefully and that is how I created this story. 

Bibliography: Public domain Edition: Mahabharata, based off the episode Death of Drona. Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists by Sister Nivedita (1914).

Week 7 Reading Diary: Mahabharata

Reading Diary from Public Domain Edition: Mahabharata, Reading part B.

(Picture Source)

1. The house of Fire

-Vidura is the brother of Pandu and Shritarashtra, and in fact he is smarter than both of them. Unfortunately for Vidura his mother was a servant so he was never eligible to be king. He is a member of Shritarasthra’s court, but his locality lays with the sons of Pandu. 

2. Bhima and Hidimba

-Since the Pandava brothers lived in the wilderness with their mother Kunto before she brought them to live in Hastinpura, living in the wilderness again wont be so bad to them.  They do face many more dangers while living in hiding.

3. Bhima and Hidimbi

-This is strange but an intreasting twist that the love affair between Bhima and the rakshasi Hidimbi is a happy one!

4. Bhima and Baka

-Bhima fights and wins a battle against the rakshasa Hidimba, and now sets out to battle with an asura: Baka.  It’s cool that Bhima’s preferred weapon is mace, but that he is comfortable using a tree truck as well. 

5. Birth of Draupadi

- Pandavas are still living in hiding until news of Draupadi’s swayamwra brings them out of hiding. 

6. Draupadi’s Swayamwra

-So much swayamwaras going on

7.Wife of the Five Pandavas

- What lucky women Draupadi is to have all five Pandavas become her husbands. This is also very unusual.

8. The story of Nalayani

- Karma always comes around, and for having five husbands karma is bound to find you. 

9. Indraprastha

-Yudhishthira becomes a king in his own right, building a great royal stronghold at Indraprastha on the river Yamuna.

10. Arjuna and Uluop

-I don't blame Arjuna for breaking the rules of their living arrangements, but I don’t agree that he should be sent to exile for that.

11. Arjuna and the Apsaras

-Arjuna’s exile reminds me of a fairy. 

12. Arjuna and Chitra

-They marry and have a son, and he stays in Manipur and becomes king.

13. Arhuna and Subhadra

-Arjuna is cruching on Krishna, and ends up marrying Subhadra, who is Krshna’s sister.

14. The Burning of the Forest

-Famous adventure that Arjuna and Krishna have together.

15. Maya’s Palace

-Always ove when promises are kept, and Mayasura keeps hers and builds an amazing palace for the Pandavas.

16. The Pandavas Victorious

-Yudhishthira is now going to declare himself a supreme monarch by performing a Rahasuya sacrifice.  You've got to be pretty brave to do this. 

17.  Gambling Match

-I use to play the game Parcheesi when I was a child! Always a great game to play with dice to kill time in the summer.

18. Draupadi Lost

-it always ends with your fate, and Draupadi;s fate is on important and she protest eloquently and loufly about the events that take place in the gambling hall.

19. Draupadi in the Assembly Hall

- Bhima makes some pretty terrible oaths, and not the epic will be driven by the cycle of revenge.

20.  The Second Match

- Swashti- ancent symbol of good luck in India, which later was misappropriated by the Nazie, very interesting to me.