Visits With Ammachi
It was 1988 when I first took my children, Tessa 7,and Xavier 6, and Devin, who was only 2, to see Ammachi (Amma).
Xavier has been dedicated to seeing Amma every year and missed 1999 because he was injured in a car accident which left him a paralyzed from the his chest down. The following year of 2000, after his re-habilitation he went to see Amma with a friend. I was told that Xavier transferred out of his wheelchair and crawled up the steps in this big, oversized tent on the red carpet leading to Amma’s throne. She watched him on his elbows, rising with sweet tears in her eyes and met him at the top of the steps to give him a hug. Bending down, holding him for an extra long time. I so regret not being present for so auspicious an encounter. My friend Sarah Evans told me it was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.
The children and I were often in Amma’s presence either together or separately as she visited Santa Fe every year. Ammachi now does a tour of the world every year and there are many places where she settles for maybe a week at a time to do retreats. Her following has grown proportionately, and there are now thousands of people who await her visit.
In 2007, Jazie was18, and through the years has developed a personal attraction to visiting Amma. She holds Amma close not only because of her personal experiences and because of the influence of her other sibling’s attraction to Amma. Tessa gave generously to Ammachi’s Mata Amritanandamaya Center because of the incredible service Amma does for people around the world…
There are now thousands of people who want to experience the all-embracing hug of an elaborate, timeless, divine being. She is not an emanation... She is real. We know that she stands for the preciousness of unconditional love and the endless, sacred interconnectedness of all beings. Ammachi is a universal symbol of peace, love, compassion and community.
June 18, 2008
Discovery Channel Day of the Shark
Kristena Prater, Tessa's mother, was recently asked by producers associated with the Discovery Channel to go to Tonga and be interviewed for a segment in their upcoming "Shark Week". Tessa's story with be one of six told as part of a documentary entitled "Day of the Shark". Tessa is the only victim who did not survive the attack. The program follows these stories through the time of day and tries to glean some insight into the behavior of these ocean predators and show that the ocean really is a wilderness: dangerous, wild and unpredictable. Along with this, the personal stories of the victims and how their families and friends have coped will also be shared.
Kristena went to Tonga to meet the film crew without family. She realized there were details and intimacies of Tessa's death she was hearing for the first time. A more complete retelling of her trip can be found in the "About Tonga" section.
The first airing of the documentary is on July 28th at 8pm, however, the Discovery Channel weaves their Shark Week stories on several different times.
February 1, 2008
2nd Annual Memorial Ceremony
Tessa is remembered in the mountains and by the sea. We begin with the anniversary of her death each year on February 1st. Her siblings and parents realized her this year on a beach in Carpenteria, California, where she swam and boogie-boarded as a child. The ritual took place at sunrise.
Kristena, Tessa's mother, also went hiking down into the Grand Canyon en route home to New Mexico. Her godmother hiked up into the Santa Fe mountains with Tessa's dog Kalu. The extended family continues to celebrate in memory of Tessa through her birthday, March 20th, the first day of spring.
The Death of Tessa Horan
Tessa died in the late afternoon on February 1st after being attacked by a tiger shark. The boy who tried to save her life was the same age as Tessa - 24 - and his name was Tatafu. He risked his own life trying to save her. The Tongan people were remarkably respectful of Tessa's passing. The villagers lined the streets sitting in prayer in the rain as they transported Tessa from shore to the medical facility. The tradition in the Tongan culture calls for wearing black and staying with the body until burial. Tessa’s new family of friends from the Peace Corps alternated staying by her side in the Capital city of Nuku’alofa.
Her memorial was attended by the HRH Princess ‘Ulukalala Lavaka Ata,the Prime Minister, Peace Corps staff members, Peace Corps volunteers, as well as local Tongan people. Her memorial in Tonga was held February 7th.
Tessa's body was transported to New Mexico and arrived at the Albuquerque airport on February 9th; her father Kevin Horan, stepfather Joseph Burke, brothers Xavier and Devin and her companian Scott Jones were at the airport to recieve her casket. Her body was then relinquished to four family Buddhist friends. These women delicately anointed Tessa's body, which is the Buddhist tradition. They communicated how honorable the experience had been for them (if you are interested in the beauty of the account related to this experience, Cristina Davila has written a most poignant description of her remembrance of the ritual). Tessa had taken refuge in the Buddhist religion on April 11th, 1999. Her Buddhist name was Yeshe Drolma, meaning lady liberator of wisdom. Her teacher was Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche.
The family and friends sat vigil with Tessa's body thoughout the night until the cremation ceremony the following day. Her brothers and close friends made 3 beautiful urns to house her ashes.
Tessa’s community memorial was held at the St. Francis Auditorium inside the Fine Arts Museum on February 11th. Tessa was obviously a master in disguise to many of her family and friends. Tessa’s celebration of life was multi-denominational, embracing her grandmother's minister Bernardo Monserat from the Church of Religious Science, Rabbi Ben Morrow of Temple Beth Shalom, Roshi Joan Halifax, a Buddhist Tessa greatly respected from Upaya Zen Center, and Father Jerome from St. Francis Cathedral. Her parents, Kevin Horan and Kristen Prater, made the decision to embrace all religions in honor of Tessa’s unrestricted embrace of the collective consciousness. The beauty of the ceremony was heightened by Tessa’s siblings, friends and family.
The Tongan government and Peace Corps were represented at the ceremony, speaking on behalf of what Tessa had done in such a short time to honor both organizations. The finality of Tessa’s celebration was topped with the coming together of friends and family for drumming with such delight and exuberance. They carried the energy over to an unplanned reception with Tessa’s family hosting a spontaneous delightful evening including the Tongan and Peace Corps entourage.
View an online Memorial of Tessa Marie Horan.
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Ammachi
Friends In Santa Fe
Friends In Tonga
Friends gathered for drummin
Tessa's mother and siblings on the night of her memorial
Tessa's Best Friend Cate and Cousin Brendan
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