Of Easter and hope of a personal renewal

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.


Easter will roll around again tomorrow. I don't feel it so strongly now but come tomorrow morning I'll be misty-eyed again about the implications of Easter, of redemption and life hereafter. And of seeing my parents again someday.

I especially miss my mother these days. In a couple of weeks time, I will be continuing something that we had done together over 17 years ago. In October 1992, we had made a trip down south to Vellore on medical advice regarding my auditory perception. A minor surgery was performed on my left ear and more importantly, it was discovered I have a congenital malformation of the stapes (an important part of the inner ear). The doctors told me to come back for a review five years later but when Mum died two years later, I just never went back. It wasn't as if I was terribly inconvenienced so I got by somehow. And with one thing after another, I never really gave the issue much thought.

Till recently when my right ear just couldn't even properly pick up whispers anymore. Took off to a local audiologist who ran a test and showed me sophisticated hearing aids in the price range of 70,000 to one lakh rupees. I slept it over and decided the next day to go for the other option: have a stapedectomy done which involves inserting a little prosthesis called a piston in the inner ear. An intricate piece of microsurgery which can restore hearing to practically normal. A botched job can cause nerve damage or worse, permanent loss of hearing.

So instead of buying a one lakh something hearing aid which even the audiologist admitted doesn't actually stand up to natural hearing, I'll be going back to Vellore for that long overdue surgery. And I'm going to miss my mother a lot. But then again, I know she'll be with me in spirit - thanks to the promise of Easter.