Thread by @aleyakassam

Early this year, a palm tree in the garden exploded in flowers...delicate fragrant creamy petaled flowers

We have been with the tree for over a decade and it had never flowered before.

It was just so beautiful.

The flowers remained for several weeks, and after they fell the the ground, they revealed a twisty knobbly network of branches that stretched up the sky.

It looked like a tree was growing out of the tree.

And at their tips were globules that looked like berries.

After a few months, the branches sort of fell off.

A few metres away is another palm tree of the same kind, which we have been with for the same amount of time.

It didn't flower.

Now several months later, the tree that didn't flower has visibly grown, stretching into the sky.

Meanwhile the tree that grew this spectacular plumage is half its height.

This time last year, they were the same height.

I look at these trees and I think about the life force it took the flowering tree to produce these flowers.

And the visible effect of doing so.

I look at my father and I can see the life force it took for him to take care of Raju for the last four years in the way that he did.

My dad woke up everyday at 3am to change his catheter, monitored his sugar, watched for infection, dedicated all his energy towards care of Raju

And now Raju has gone

And I can see the visible effect on my dad of using his life force to care for Raju like that.

It is beautiful

And it is also heartbreaking

And I can see the visible effect on my sister of using her life force to care for our beloved Mithu

It is beautiful

And it is also heartbreaking

For all those using their life force caring for others, I hope from the bottom of my heart that the care you put out in the world comes back to you tenfold.

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