Happy 31st Princess Anji
August 19, 2013 - Our Princess Anji would be celebrating her 31st birthday today. Where would she be living? What would she be doing? Would she have found the love of her life by now - someone who accepted her, cherished her, and loved her for who she had grown to become?
Alas, as her parents we cannot answer any of these questions except in our own imagination. Of the one fact we are extremely confident. Wherever she is, whatever she is doing, she would be spreading sunshine and joy through her positive energy, her megawatt smile and her infectious laughter.
We have imagined many times that Anjali would have found her home in Japan and perhaps decided to live there among her students who learned enough English from her and she had learned enough Japanese from them to carry on long, involved philosophical discussions with ease in either language.
Or perhaps she would have returned to Santa Fe, New Mexico to live in the beautiful hills to continue her work with the AVID program and the students she loved so much, watching proudly as each graduated from high school and with her encouragement took the giant step to attend college - the first ever in his or her family to do so.
Her music - the singing, the piano playing, the violin playing, and perhaps the cello she wanted to learn to play - would have brought her into contact with the eclectic world of musicians not simply as an admirer of their music but as a fellow performer. We wonder if her TAMS group would have reunited to perform RENT once again to the delight of all the families who were just blown away that first time they witnessed the amazing talent of these young people way back in 1999-2000.
Perhaps she would have moved to Washington D.C. to live close to her sister Tanya, going to Coachella and Bonneroo with her and a group of friends. We know she would be totally at home in that environment.
Alas, none of these are to be reality -just imagined in our minds and hearts. And yet sad as we are at not being able to see her, touch her, hear her voice, something tells us she is okay. In fact more than okay - she is happy in her new world, achieving the long list of things she planned out for herself and when we see her again each of us will be welcomed with that enchanting smile, hugged with those all-enveloping arms, and hear her voice saying:
“Hi Mom! Hi Dad! Hey Tanya!”
Happy Birthday Anjali! With all our love, hugs and kisses,
Mom, Dad, and Tanya
Alas, as her parents we cannot answer any of these questions except in our own imagination. Of the one fact we are extremely confident. Wherever she is, whatever she is doing, she would be spreading sunshine and joy through her positive energy, her megawatt smile and her infectious laughter.
We have imagined many times that Anjali would have found her home in Japan and perhaps decided to live there among her students who learned enough English from her and she had learned enough Japanese from them to carry on long, involved philosophical discussions with ease in either language.
Or perhaps she would have returned to Santa Fe, New Mexico to live in the beautiful hills to continue her work with the AVID program and the students she loved so much, watching proudly as each graduated from high school and with her encouragement took the giant step to attend college - the first ever in his or her family to do so.
Her music - the singing, the piano playing, the violin playing, and perhaps the cello she wanted to learn to play - would have brought her into contact with the eclectic world of musicians not simply as an admirer of their music but as a fellow performer. We wonder if her TAMS group would have reunited to perform RENT once again to the delight of all the families who were just blown away that first time they witnessed the amazing talent of these young people way back in 1999-2000.
Perhaps she would have moved to Washington D.C. to live close to her sister Tanya, going to Coachella and Bonneroo with her and a group of friends. We know she would be totally at home in that environment.
Alas, none of these are to be reality -just imagined in our minds and hearts. And yet sad as we are at not being able to see her, touch her, hear her voice, something tells us she is okay. In fact more than okay - she is happy in her new world, achieving the long list of things she planned out for herself and when we see her again each of us will be welcomed with that enchanting smile, hugged with those all-enveloping arms, and hear her voice saying:
“Hi Mom! Hi Dad! Hey Tanya!”
Happy Birthday Anjali! With all our love, hugs and kisses,
Mom, Dad, and Tanya