Should you visit 82-year-old Prema Raghavan, she will take great care to greet you as an honored guest. You wish to see her family garden? Of course, she’ll give you a tour. But first, kindly allow her to serve you some Indian coffee. She’ll pour it “sultan-style” to give you a frothy crown.  

She wears a sari the color of saffron and juniper leaves. Framed against the Leander skyline, her sari is flowing against a gentle breeze as she walks towards her garden. It’s glorious! A bounty of bhindi okra, South Indian chilis, squash and other favorites. 

“I like to give food to everybody” she smiles. And she does. At the South Asians International Volunteer Association -or SAIVA- she keeps fellow volunteers well fed and participates in virtual cooking segments. She often wakes up at 5 am to feed hungry people visiting her Hindu temple. And, she’s part of a program that prepares meals for college students during exam weeks so they have one less thing to worry about. Prema is also an accomplished sewer who donates that talent to various causes. She says, “What makes me happy is seeing other people happy.”

Prema’s greatest joy is her family. Her daughter and son are neighbors and Prema takes turns living with each of them. A perfect day is one in which they are together. She loves to feed them. To watch them eat. And laugh. And remember. When the mood strikes, Prema will break out in song. She composes and sings in Tamil, the language of South India where she was born.  

“Life is filled with joys and sorrows,” says Prema. She shares the sorrow of losing her husband suddenly. Then her daughter. When she feels down, she lets love lead the way, saying,

“I believe where love is, there is God.”

And what greater expression of love than to be of service to others.