Social media: Celebrating a life well lived!

People are embracing a cheerful way to honour their loved ones who’ve passed. Here are some stories of non-gloomy dedications

With Covid, death is something that’s come knocking on many doors, way too early. There are two ways to handle it — by letting the grief swallow you, or by also celebrating the life lived.

Chef Radhika Khandelwal (top) recently put up fun posts of her late employee Vinod Pal (inset) to commemorate his life

But celebrating someone who’s passed on doesn’t come naturally to us. It didn’t even occur to me as a teen when my favourite uncle, Achuchung succumbed to cancer. When my grandmother passed a couple of years ago, I hit something beyond rock bottom. I was devastated but wanted to stay strong for my mother.

Times are a-changin

So, I turned to celebrating my grandmother’s life instead. I danced to her favourite songs, something that had been a ritual since I was three, and cooked her favourite foods.

A still from Pagglait, which celebrated life instead of mourning over death

Over the years, I’ve started celebrating Achuchung’s life on his birth and death anniversaries, complete with his favourite drink, cake, dish and some harmless pranks on people, because that’s who he was in a nutshell: the life of the party. So, when I recently came across Chef Radhika Khandelwal’s multiple tributes to her late employee Vinod Paul, uploading videos of him dancing, I was reminded of how we can make the passing of someone more than just that.

Chef Radhika met Vinod 13-14 years ago when she was visiting Delhi while based in Australia. She had immediately decided that if she ever opened a restaurant, she would hire him. So, in 2015, when she opened Ivy & Bean in Delhi, Vinod was her first employee. He was a part of Fig & Maple’s opening and conception team too. His jolly nature made him the guests’ favourite.

Apt dedication

“He was no less than a celebrity. Everyone has anecdotes about him,” says the chef and co-owner of Fig & Maple, as she takes a minute to gather herself.

PS I Love You is another movie where the husband from beyond the grave pushes wife to live her life and celebrate his life rather than mourn his death

“He was the pulse of Fig & Maple, so how can I not celebrate someone who was the heart of the space?” Radhika questions.

She hasn’t gone through the grieving process yet, being too tied up with the hundreds of meals she’s sending across to Delhi’s crematoriums.

But she is planning to name a dish after him — his favourite from their staff meals (after fine-tuning it a tad) — as well as a mimosa, his favourite drink.

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From HT Brunch, July 4, 2021

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