KNITTING TO SERVE: MEETING AT A SIKH GURDWARA IN TEXAS

Mrs. Pammi Cheema, a new member of WFWP who recently attended the launch of GWPN in Las Vegas, invited me to speak at her Sikh women’s group and introduce them to WFWP. Pammi has been an active member of the Sikh community of Euless, Texas, which is close to DFW International Airport. I went to their gurdwara (house of worship) on Wednesday, August 14, 2019, and gave a presentation on WFWP and GWPN in the conference room. Justine Cherutich, chairwoman of the WFWP Texas chapter, offered her support and valuable input as well.

Approximately 12 members of the group were in attendance. They usually have a few more, but with summertime, several are on vacation. Dr. Harbans Lal and his wife, Amrita, long-time Ambassadors for Peace with the Universal Peace Federation (a partner organization of WFWP), made a special trip to our gathering to hear my presentation; they usually attend a different gurdwara closer to their home.

I explained the activities and purposes of WFWP and the GWPN, and handed out fliers and brochures. I also talked about my own personal history of growing up in Texas, and the fact that I never really met anybody outside my own ethnic group, even in public school. (Of course, those were the days prior to integration of the schools.)

I explained that, thanks to my membership with several organizations (including WFWP) founded by Rev. and Mrs. Moon, it has become normal to share meals and discussions with people from all around the world. However, this experience is rare for most people. Many different ethnicities call the USA home, but we tend to stay within our familiar communities and don’t often get to know people from different backgrounds. I believe this is due to the fact that we don’t have enough opportunities to gather for a common purpose. WFWP gives women a chance to gather because our purpose is service to the community and world, and helping one another find love within healthy families. These are universal principles agreed on by all people of good will.

When the women’s group members heard the motto of Mother Moon’s recent Unity Tour, “Peace Starts With Me,” they were inspired. It sparked discussion about peacemaking and blaming others, and the importance of looking first within oneself.

WFWP Texas Chairwoman Justine talked about various activities of WFWP, including the Schools of Africa, as well as local food drives for the poor, and the Dress for Success program for college students.

Next to speak was Mrs. Amrit Anand, the organizer of this Sikh women’s group. She is a survivor of breast cancer and during her recovery several years ago, she was comforted by a small pillow with a hand-knitted cover made by a local volunteer. She determined that she would use her own knitting and crochet skills and make gifts for others.

Together with women in her gurdwara, she began making blankets, caps and other items for babies in hospitals, people in homeless shelters, and Alzheimer’s patients. I learned that most Indian girls grow up learning from their mothers how to knit and crochet, so gathering talented women was a pleasant task for the gurdwara. Since they started two years ago, they have crafted several thousand items and we were able to see some of their beautiful small blankets. These knitted lap blankets have all sorts of items sewn into them, such as buttons, ribbons, and small zippers that open and close, for the purpose of tactile stimulation. This is a major need for Alzheimer’s patients; simply touching and feeling these blankets is a way of stimulating the brain.

Mrs. Anand had discovered the secret to happiness: giving freely and serving others. We all acknowledged such a universal truth which transcends religion, nationality and ethnicity.

Pammi Cheema told the group about her experience at the GWPN in Las Vegas. In particular, she was inspired by WFWP Las Vegas President Sera Hirano, who explained about her own Indian name: she called herself “Sita” and her husband by another Indian term of endearment. Pammi remembered Sera talking about how she works very hard to keep peace and harmony among the entire family with eight kids.

After the meeting in the conference room, we all went to the large dining hall, with a large professional kitchen. One of the husbands had fried flour pancakes, which were very light and tasty. There were various vegetarian soups and other dishes.

This November will be the 550th anniversary of the birth of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, in 1569 in India. It will be celebrated by Sikhs all over the world, so the ladies group will be busy preparing for that. But they expressed an interest in attending future WFWP activities. Justine and I told them we hoped they could teach our members how to crochet and knit. We are keeping in touch and looking forward to more activities together.