@anjula_acharia

class="content__text" We said goodbye to my dear big sister may she always RIP. I’m so proud of my nieces @_lilydonovan@jasmindxx for their strength during this extremely difficult time. I’d also like to humbly thank everyone who has sent messages of condolences, donations, flowers and thoughtful gifts, we’ve been overwhelmed with the kind gestures. Words can’t express how I’m feeling right now and the sudden loss my entire family has endured, it comes in waves and one minute I feel joy and another deep sadness and pain. Here are a few words I spoke at her funeral. I love her so much and will miss her forever. ❤️‍🩹💔😔 Growing up, annu and I couldn’t have been more different.  While I was an insecure little brown girl pretending to be white, she was valiantly proud of her Indian heritage wearing her prandi (an Indian tassel worn on the end of a long plat) using it to fight off my bullies on the playground.   When I was a teenager trying to conform to being a good Indian Princess she was wearing bright lipsticks and high heels fighting to be seen and heard as her own person. Annu was adamant then, that she wanted to live life on her own terms and she did that so bravely she simply did not care what people thought of her. she did it so effortlessly… being herself, I realise many of us looked at her with a desire to be that free but never had the courage to live it, she was unapologetic and fearless.  My weaknesses were her strengths…we were 2 sides of the same perfect penny and even though I didn’t always understand her, she loved me regardless, and even to her last breath she was in my corner fighting for me.   Annu fought this battle with cancer, what I realise now is she’s a fighter and unstoppable, she’s an inspiration to so many, she fought for so many young girls who could not win on their own she made them believe in themselves, just like she did for me as a little girl.   So in honour of Annu, from this day forward, I hope we all live a bit more like her, be ourselves no matter what people think and live our truths while helping others live theirs. In that lies the beauty of my amazing big sister Annu.

January 18, 2023