Tribute of Love

Alice Mathias
Daddina Hithlu, Shirva

DOB: 01-04-1938
DOD: 03-08-2020

To your children you were dear Mai
And for your grand children you were simply Mai
And to the family and Daddina Hithlu you were the most popular Maushi
For Shirva and beyond you were the respected Alli Bai
The news of your peaceful death on August 03, 2020 spread silently
And enveloped Daddina Hithlu to a dark night
And the sad news spread, early in the morning, to different parts of the world
Before the arrival of bright sun, your dear and near ones realised
A joyful soul has left us with lots of happy memories...

Elders tell us you were the loving and responsible sister to your siblings
For Daddina Hithlu’s Mathias family you were the youngest daughter-in-law
Many tell us you were good at cooking and cultivation
And sold the agriculture produced smartly at Shirva’s market on Thursdays
But soon you realised it is not enough for a family of seven
Difficulties, determination and foresight forced you take up a job in Muscat.
Your friends tell us, in the 1970s you were the torch bearer and source of inspiration
Many followed your bold steps for a better future for their family
In the 1980s you extended help to the needy to secure a job in the Gulf
Your courage, kindness and help did not go waste
It is turning, today, into a tribute of love with a deep sense of gratitude
It is also a cause of celebration, the life of a bold and courageous woman

Your hard work, sacrifice and faith in God yielded fruits in the 1990s
And you had the satisfaction of settling your children to lead a better life
You started enjoying your fish curry rice once again at Daddina Hithlu
And felt happy when your grand children did well in studies
You witnessed centenary of Saud Mai Church with great joy in 2015
And participated in the Centenary Hore Kanike procession with gratitude
You had a great sense of belonging and love for Shirva
You could talk and discuss freely with
Shirva’s Shenoy’s, Shetty’s, Poojari’s, Assadi’s and Kamath’s
They respected your hard work and sense of responsibility to the society
You were always down to earth and never lost touch with the ordinary

For many of us now settled in different parts of the world
You were a source of inspiration
And the feeling that we owe something to you was very strong in us
So every visit to hometown also included a visit to Daddina Hithlu
Meeting you at your home for a cup of tea was relaxing and memorable
Before leaving, we never forgot to seek your blessings that made us strong
You always reminded us it is good to make a call once in a way and keep in touch
No doubt 2020 was a difficult year to talk,
You told us in January, no mood this year for any celebrations
And in April you told us too much of lockdown
In June you were praying for a good death
In July you knew your prayer will be heard soon so you asked us to come
Sorry! it did not occur to us that you will be leaving us in August
But we have something to tell --
“Your blessings has shaped us and made us what we are today
We will remember this always and pray to God to grant you eternal rest”

A tribute of love from Daddina Hithlu Mathias family, Shirva and
relatives and friends living in different parts of India and the world