Buds shall blossom

Anna and I will, all being well, join our new work tomorrow at the M.O.S.C. Medical college, Kolenchery. This will be our second job after our retirement form Christian Medical College, Vellore.

Our time at Pondicherry was shortened due to the declining health of my mother and the need to relocate near to her to offer her the support she needs now.

Every new job has its own challenges. One challenge for both Anna and myself is the need to become familiar with the way medicine is practiced in this 100 percent literate state. Anna has never lived in this state of Kerala and I am returning to live here after 45 years. For both of us it is the first experience of working in any medical institution in Kerala. 

Some thoughts of anxiety returned to me several times during the day. As I was glancing through my archives of photos, this picture of rose buds taken few years back, brought back some memories. A friend was getting ready for his hip replacement surgery. Looking at the rose buds in his garden, he turned to me, said, 'the buds shall blossom'. He spoke that confidently. He left behind his anxiety of all the risks of surgery and turned cheerful because, He saw in those buds a hopeful sign, that all shall be well. He went back to his drawing room and turned on the music system to play, ' We shall overcome..' the song that was very dear to late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

So we get ready to go to work tomorrow with this hope, that we will be given the grace to overcome. 

The rose buds are provided, color, fragrance and elegance. God is that provider.

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)