Jyoti's Life Story

We are blessed that Jyoti wrote up her life story. Please share your stories and memories in the comments below.

I was born on July 12, 1949, in Karamsad, India. I grew up in Karamsad and Bhadran, a small village near Anand. My sister Varsha was born 3 ½ years after me.

My father Virendra was a manufacturing pharmacist who changed jobs frequently. In my 3rd grade I went to Mumbai with my family until 6th grade. Then we went to Kalakota (Calcutta) till 9th grade and then back to Mumbai till I graduated high school.

I really wanted to be an architect, but I excelled at pre-science and everybody around me said I should go into medicine. I did 4 ½ years at M.s·. University in Baroda and became a physician. After I graduated, I had an arranged marriage to Surendra Amin who was also a physician. I was ambivalent at first but gradually grew to love him. In India there is a saying: ''Don't marry the person you love but love person you marry."

We had a good marriage, 1971- 2016 when Surendra died of lung cancer, not related to smoking. We had two wonderful children, Alerk and Ratna. Alerk was born in India and when he was six months we moved to America and lived in New York City where Surendra and I did our residency. Ratna was born when I was a 2nd year resident, and my parents helped me by taking are of the kids. I continued to do my fellowship in Neonatology and Surendra became an internist.

I finished my Fellowship in 1978, and we decided to move out of New York City and start a practice in Warrenton, Virginia. This wasn't the right thing – Pediatric Medicine was not for me so luckily, I got a job at Alexandria Hospital as a neonatologist taking care of premature and sick babies. I finally found my mission.

We sponsored a nanny from India, Kaminiben who was wonderful and allowed us to move the kids in with us. When my father retired in 1988, my parents moved in with us and they took over helping with the house and kids. We moved to Mclean which was a good area and luckily the kids qualified to go to Jefferson High School for Science and Technology- it was the best high school in the U.S. at that time.

I was always an avid reader and joined a book club which I am still a member of today, the Chai, Pie and Pustak (tea, pie and book) Club'. We are twenty members and meet on Zoom once a month. Some of my other favorite things to do are embroidery, knitting, painting and puzzles.

Although I was raised as a Hindu, I respect God in all religions. Pope Francis was a big influence on me - he was so humble and lived like an ordinary man. He had

$90 to his credit and no fancy clothes and he only wore plain black shoes, not the fancy red pope shoes.

I am very proud of my kids and their spouses and grandkids. I am blessed in all the ways. Be at peace and give generously.