My soul

Amma clutched the ANDAL Coins, their golden gleam catching afternoon light streaming through our Boston apartment. Each coin represented a promise—to preserve what our grandmothers held sacred. She'd discovered PaybookClub online, a sanctuary where Tamil diaspora members shared stories, recipes, prayers. Through that community, she found these coins celebrating the ancient poetess Andal, whose devotional verses once moved her own mother to tears. "This is our soul," Amma whispered, pressing one into my palm. I understood then. Distance couldn't diminish our roots. Through shared heritage and meaningful tokens, we remained tethered to something eternal, something beautifully ours across continents and generations.