Our Very Own 'Mother Theresa'

Last night was the 11-month anniversary of our darling Shahdi's passing and we spent it in the company of a couple of her close friends. She was the main topic of conversation for the majority of the evening, and her friends helped us see a side of Shahdi which was rarely visible to us. 

Through the commentaries left by her friends on her Memorial Page and the conversations we had had with several of her friends in the last eleven months, we already had learned that Shahdi was always watching out for her friends and trying to help them in any way she could. One of her friends last night said that she always thought of Shahdi as ‘Mother Theresa’, the Catholic nun who had devoted her life to caring for others. Her friend told us about many sleepless nights Shahdi had spent by her sick bed or others', trying to nurse and take care of them. I always knew Shahdi had a heart of gold but I never knew she was such a selfless martyr. 

Even as a young child Shahdi had exhibited the possession of a very tender, kind and compassionate heart, but I believe, after her friend's death at thirteen, her heart underwent a great transformation. Shahdi had scolded herself for her inability to rescue Lauren from the clutches of the dreadful cancer, and was heartbroken that her love and affection for her friend were not sufficient for saving Lauren from her premature death. After suffering that loss, she must have, either consciously or subconsciously, made a personal pledge or promise to do all in her power to help her other friends in need, and that seemed to be exactly what she did in the last five years of her life. She was devoted to her friends and did all she could to provide assistance whenever and wherever necessary. 

All those years, we were unaware that we shared our hearts and our home with a ‘Mother Theresa’ in-training. We had underestimated the extent of her involvement in her private quest in social work. I wish Shahdi had confided in us and let us provide her with assistance and support so she would not have had to single-handedly carry such a heavy load of responsibility on her delicate shoulders. Even a strong adult could bend under such a weight, let alone a tender-hearted teenager.  

Shahdi had a strong character but her compassionate and kind heart must have finally given in under the weight of the pain and suffering she observed all around her for several years. My generous loving girl did not realize that one individual is not capable of wiping away all the anguish, pain, injustice, and heartache in the world.

Only if she had been a little more attentive to herself and to her own mental health.

​Bless her tender loving soul! What a jewel she was! ​ Our very own Florence Nightingale/Mother Theresa!