Remembering to Thank Meher Baba
Ann Conlon
The following is an excerpt from an article, "How I Came to Baba," based on a talk given by Ann Conlon at the 1986 Los Angeles Silence Day Sahavas and published in The Awakener Magazine.
Ann contrasts the moments she had to say goodbye to Meher Baba in 1961 and 1962, describing Meher Baba's reaction each time, and what those goodbyes ultimately came to mean in her life.
AVATAR MEHER BABA
By Ann Conlon
When the last day arrived [in 1962], we were all going to say goodbye to Baba individually. I was thinking, “Oh, boy, I'm going to get another embrace.” I wasn't thinking of it being goodbye. So when I went up to Baba, I was smiling and happy and I leaned over and kissed Him on both cheeks said, “Thank you, Baba. Thank you.”
When I pulled back from Him, it was like He was on fire. He was beaming from ear to ear. He reached up out of His chair and patted my cheeks hard with both hands. And I remember the year before [1961] and the way I had left, and realized He was saying, “This is the way I want you to be. As happy leaving as you were when you came. You take Me with you; there is no separation.”
ANN CONLON. (Photo used with permission from The Awakener Magazine online.)
I also felt that I'd said, “Thank you,” and that pleased Him and He let me know it. I felt that, if I never did anything else in my whole life, just once I had pleased Him, and He let me know it. It is my most precious, vivid memory of Him. It would be worth anything in my life to see it again.
Whenever I think everyone's mad at me, whenever I'm in real trouble, I see that face and know I'm loved. And I know Baba was saying to me, “Be happy, it's important. I do want you to be happy.” It's one of the most consistent things He ever said to me. “Be happy, be happy, take Me with you, and it would be nice if you remembered to say thank you once in a while.”
I knew then that the personal physical relationship with Baba was complete. It was over and I never really did expect to see Him again. I realized that what was important to Him, what He wanted me to do for that time anyway was to be happy and to take Him home with me. That's my fairy tale.
About the Author
Ann Conlon met Avatar Meher Baba two times, both in India. In May 1961, Meher Baba cracked open the door of His very strict seclusion and invited anyone to come to Guruprasad in Pune, India, and see Him for only one hour. Ann jumped at this opportunity and flew from New York to India. Her one hour turned into five precious days of seeing Meher Baba. Ann returned to Pune in November 1962 to attend the East-West Gathering.
Source
This account is from "How I Came to Baba," based on a talk given by Ann Conlon at the 1986 Los Angeles Silence Day Sahavas, published in The Awakener Magazine. The above excerpt is used with kind permission from The Awakener Magazine online, 1986, Vol. 22, No. 1, pp.65-66.