An Inspired Message…
Last year my Dad, Suraj Bhatia passed away a day shy of his 80th Birthday: December 22, 1943 – December 21, 2023.
Over the course of the past year as I have finalized his Estate and carried out his last wishes, I have had to list his date of birth and date of death and did so (as I just did prior) with a simple dash in between. This has lingered with me. My Dad’s life has been encapsulated in that dash. Indeed, for that matter, in obituaries and memorials for us all that dash holds everything – every laugh, every joy, every fear, every success, every failure and every love. Every dream.
Two decades ago my Dad created The Lakshmi Dream Foundation. Lakshmi’s Dream is basic, elemental even: equality of opportunity. We can only measure our finish line triumphs fully if we’ve all begun the journey at the same starting line. To that end, LDF has worked passionately on a direct basis and through support of organizations it believes shares its mission, to ensure access to health, to education and to the humanities for our under-privileged, under-appreciated and often overlooked.
My Dad and Mom instilled upon my brother and I values we hold to this day, the forefront of which is service above self. My hope go-forward is that through my personal commitment together with your generous help that we will continue and magnify the work of The Lakshmi Dream Foundation.
Here’s to making the most of our dash.
With warm regards, Neil
Neil Bhatia
Managing Trustee, The Lakshmi Dream Foundation
neilsbhatia@gmail.com