(May 1932) On another occasion, a friend of Norina’s, who was an acute alcoholic, came to meet Baba in New York. For years, she had been in and out of one asylum after another. She hated her mother, with whom she lived, and would greet her each morning with such cruel words: “Why aren’t you dead yet?”Norina aroused her curiosity about Baba, and the friend finally agreed to see “that man.” When the woman was brought to Baba, Norina tried to tell him about her background. Baba cut her short, motioning, “I know her very well.” The woman sat at his feet, and after a few moments of friendly conversation, Baba mentioned liquor and drinking with intense interest. They discussed different types of drinks, and Baba even remarked about a wine that he had heard was very good. The woman was overjoyed to talk about a subject so familiar to her. Her meeting was lighthearted, jovial and full of humor.
After a while, the woman turned to Norina and said, “You know, your Baba is not as bad as I thought; he’s a real human being!”
A week later, the woman invited Norina to tea. She opened the door to her apartment, and for once, Norina noticed that she had not been drinking. The woman immediately disclosed her determination to change her life. “I do not drink anymore, nor will I ever do so again. I cannot hate anymore, either. I am sorry to have given so much suffering to my mother. I now love her and will devote my life to her happiness.” No mention was made of Baba, but Norina knew that his glance had penetrated this woman’s dark mind and had lifted it out of the clouds to a new and better life.
Lord Meher, Original Publication, Bhau Kalchuri, Vol. 5, pp. 1628 – 1629.