Amritsar (Punjab) [India], January 9: When Papa’s time was drawing to a close, the world around us seemed to shift. The gravity of the loss hung over every moment, every breath, every fleeting second of his presence. Papa was more than a father to us; he was everyone’s father—larger than life, warm, generous, and full of spirit. He wasn’t just a husband, a friend, or a mentor—he was a force that brought light and laughter into every room he entered.
In his final days, as he lay in a hospital bed, the sterile walls could never contain the vibrancy of his life. His hospital room transformed into a living testament to his impact on the world. Friends, family, colleagues, and even strangers arrived to pay their respects, filling the space with laughter, stories, and shared memories. The hospital became more than a place of grief—it became a festival, a grand celebration of the man he was and the lives he touched.
For my family and me, there were moments when we wished for quiet, for solitude, a chance to have Papa to ourselves one last time. But how could we deny the hundreds of people who loved him? Papa had never denied anyone anything, so how could we refuse them the chance to show their gratitude and sorrow for the man who had been a father, mentor, and friend to so many? He had spent his life lifting others, offering his wisdom, his support, and his generosity. As his health declined, the universe seemed to send every person he had ever helped to remind us of his extraordinary legacy.
In those moments, we learned to let go—not just of Papa, but of the smallness we felt. We understood that his life was so full, so rich, that it wasn’t meant to belong solely to us. We learned to share him with the world, and in doing so, we found something even greater than grief: gratitude. We were thankful for the life he had lived, for the love he had spread, and for the countless connections he had made. The outpouring of support was overwhelming, and it reminded us that we weren’t alone in our sorrow. The burden of our loss was shared by the many lives Papa had touched.
His hospital room, though chaotic and overwhelming, felt like the beginning of a festival. The love, laughter, and tears that filled the space made it clear that Papa’s passing was not just a quiet ending. It was a grand finale, a symphony of love, loss, and life—a crescendo that celebrated the magnitude of the life he had lived. In the presence of so many who had loved him, we realized that Papa wasn’t leaving us. He was multiplying, becoming a part of every person, every memory, every story.
Grief is not about holding on; it’s about letting go in a way that honors the life of the person we are losing. Papa’s life was not ours to claim, but in sharing him with the world, we found that the love we gave was returned tenfold. The loss we feared was softened by the presence of others who shared in it. As we said goodbye, we knew that Papa’s life would continue to live on—not just in our memories, but in the many lives he had touched.
So, when Papa passed, he didn’t leave us in silence. He left us with the chorus of voices and the warmth of a community that had been forever touched by his presence. We weren’t left with sorrow; we were left with a legacy—a legacy of love, kindness, and the unbreakable bonds Papa had forged with everyone around him. He left us with the gift of knowing that love is infinite, that it grows, multiplies, and endures.
Now, when I think of Papa, I don’t see a hospital room or a somber goodbye. I see a celebration of life. I see the faces of those who loved him, and I see the light of his legacy shining brightly in the stories of the lives he touched. Love, unbroken and eternal, carries him—and us—forward into the future.
In the end, there is no greater gift than to leave this world surrounded by the people who loved you, by the echoes of your kindness, and by the lasting connections you created. Papa gave us that gift, and in sharing him, we gave it back.
(Written by Suvir Saran, Masterchef, Author, Hospitality Consultant, and Educator. The views expressed in this article are his own.)