See me not!

As I watched this three year old child hide his face every time I tried reaching out to him, I wondered why he remained strange anxious which most children get over by about two years. 

He has been in and out of hospitals form the age of six months for different medical conditions and he seems to have a fear according to his parents that something painful would be done to him! He lives in fear!

As I was driving back home with is strange thought of 'fear', I realised how true it is in our lives. We have fearful memories of events an experiences from our childhood that our decisions and attitudes are influenced by such fears!

Every time I park some where, I have a fear of someone accidentally bumping in to th car as it happened at least five times in thirty years. However it happened only five times out of hundreds of thousands of time I parked. And yet the fear lingers in my mind.

A five years old child helped to move to another level trust recently. When he came int to the room, he placed the chocolate he had in his hand on the windowsill. He played for a while and found his chocolate before he left the room. He trusted did not fear the strangers in the room!

It is trust that is the antidote to fear!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

From the centre to the margins!

As I have watched these fruits ripen during this week, I noticed that the reddish hue which the fruits acquire when they are ripe begins in the centre and  spreads to the rest of the fruit!

What a message of significance!

The centre of our being, is where our true self resides. All of our thoughts and attitudes originate there!

It is that centre, where God too has made His abode in our lives. Our true self and God's being at the centre of our lives make us as people, who are privileged to remain in communion! Often our inmost being seeks for times of communion which can take place only in interior silence! 

Become interiorly silent for short periods of time each day to be drawn by God to experience this communion. It is this communion which then becomes embodied in graceful ways in our daily rhythm of life!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

Four flowers, in four directions!

All the four flowers in different stages of blossoming look away in different directions!

Does it not remind us of the heterogeneity of thoughts an aspirations when we work together as a group! What anchors the flowers is the stem and its rootedness in the soil!

The flowers sway in the wind and yet stay fresh for us to behold because they are held together!

I wish we can carry such a sense of cohesion and harmony although we are different from each other and our attitudes might differ when we live and relate to each other !

In fact the stem remains evenly balanced because flowers are in different directions, lest by the weight of all four flowers crowding on to one side the stem would be crushed! 

Our diversity brings strength to the collective! Let us listen to others actively because it would bring balance to our thoughts and attitudes!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

A pioneering Journey!

Prof Ewelyn Elias and his wife Irene visited MOSC medical College on their way to Munnar, accompanied by Dr. Eapen, Medical Superintendent of CMC Hospital, Vellore, couple days ago.

Prof. Ewelyn pioneered liver transplant in the united Kingdom, by establishing a Liver Unit at Birmingham general hospital, which seems to do the largest number of liver transplants in Europe as of now, sometimes two to three transplants even in a day.

In an interview, he told me about his decision to go this way for the last thirty years! 'Why Should a young person die of complications of hepatitis when he can live twenty five or more years after transplant!' He pursued this mission as a calling form God.

In all the ordeals and resistance he has had to face to get state funding for this transplant programme, he felt that he was guided by God and His blessings accompanied his efforts.  

Prof Elias and his wife Irene brought a breath of fresh air to the gathering of the faculty through their charming presence and encouraging words- fame and achievement have only made them humble, sociable and caring!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Transplanting for summer harvest!

In about ninety days, this paddy field would be ready for harvesting once the paddy is transplanted in the field which is now ready. As there is access to water, some farmers try three crops in a year.

This sight that I see on my way to work is a refreshing every day, because from the time of transplanting till the field is harvested, Anna and I get an opportunity to see the care the farmer provides to protect the plants and take care of them till the time of the harvest.

It is a symbol of much significance because I spend most of time with children. The plants do not grow up automatically. They grow and bear fruit because they are cared for and nourished by manuring!

I met with a preoccupied family, who feel that the school ought to provide all the care and learning their son requires. They seem to confine themselves to giving him boarding and lodging and feel justified with what they are doing. When that child was engaged in a play setting all the hyperactivity that parents talked about vanished. 

Let me suggest that some children appear to be hyperactive because that is  the only way they can communicate that they need  attention and meaningful engagement. Especially if the child is quieter at school or in other places when he is pleasantly engaged, it is even more indicative of the 'hyperactivity' being an 'attention seeking effort' of the child. 

Give children attention- they surprise us by their creative responses!  

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Visitors who bring cheer!

At the end of a day, one might feel tired! That is how I too felt yesterday till these visitors dropped in! They carried a spontaneous cheer of youthful fervour and vibrancy, which was infectious. Their presence lifted the veil tiredness and mad embed feel connected with an inner strength and enthusiasm. 

As I drove back home, I was driving through deserted streets and closed shops as it was a day of 'hartal or bandh' in our area, at the behest of a political party to protest against police action against some protesters!

There is a prevailing mood of anger and discontent in the political scene even nationally in India. There is a crisis of confidence about the governance approach of the national government. 

Amidst some of these disturbing trends associated with the the socio-political transformation of India into becoming an industrialised action, there is an opportunity to be well wishers of younger people and enable them to be people who make a mark through their being and doing!

I am not spontaneously outgoing or sociable, but Anna is. It is Anna who identifies younger companions who often bring much cheer to our lives!

Make it a habit to welcome younger people who can mentor our lives!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

The affect in a conversation!

This is one of the exceptional photographs in my archive because the body language and emotional milieu in the conversation remind me of the refreshing touch every conversation can bring if we use a conversational opportunity soberly, mindfully and cheerfully!

Sometimes what stays within us is th memory of how we communicated than what we communicated!

We are people of ideas therefore would want to have an intellectual exercise to talk about them. Even then, it is a good practice to develop the skills of speaking to upbuild, encourage and affirm!

To make every conversation time into an endearing time is a challenge, but is essential to build friendships that create a sense of belonging!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Let children win!

I have revisited this group photograph of children several times during the last one year because of the V sign which a girl indicates and the thumb sign two other children show in this photo!

Having spent forty years  of my working life with children, I carry a searching question in my mind: do children have an optimum environment for their wellness and development!

As I think and prepare to write on this issue I am making enquiries about the parental perspectives for children and children's aspirations for their future!

I have a suspicion that it is where the conflict starts first! 

Let me suggest that our conversation times at home ought to turn in favour of promoting freedom for children to share openly and freely! 

To feel accepted and wanted is the first step towards to helping children to have a feeling of belonging and wellness! 

There is a lot parents might want to invest in tier children emotionally and relationally, for which children's heart need to be directed towards parents! This begins by deliberate action of inclusiveness of children in our daily rhythm at home, apart form the time we spend with them to help them with their home work!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Grieving children!

It was a difficult day at work.

One child was in great distress, crying inconsolably and avoiding to be present anywhere near strangers. He has recently become clingy and intolerant towards the absence of his parents. He has been separated from his parents on two occasions, each time for one year in his short childhood of three years! His parents have had to leave him behind on account of their job overseas.

Another child who recently has developed some undesirable behaviour mannerisms and body manipulations indicated some distress on account of the stressful situations at home! The interview with the family was disturbing because the child's unspoken needs do not get the attention of parents. 

Even in a short time of three years, I have observed an increase in the number of children coming with grief reaction and reactionary behaviour!

When society becomes materialistic, it is likely that the desire of having more of everything diminishes the nearness between and children and parents seem to look for parent substitutes in caring for their children. In the place where I live, grandparents become the normal parent substitutes who do not compensate well for the absence of the parents!

I felt disturbed today when I have had to share in the grief of grieving children! I returned home today earlier than usual, because I felt moved by my helplessness!

How can we restore children to the centre of family life!

M.C.Mathew (photo from archives and is not of either of children mentioned here)

Fruitful tree!

Although I have already posted a few pictures of this jackfruit tree in the last few weeks, I continue to be amazed by the large number of fruits it has produced during tai season!

I have had a discussion with some friends about fruitful lives in difficult circumstances. A friend gets scolded almost everyday by his supervisor because of the officer's prejudice towards him. But almost everyday he cares to visit a senior citizen couple to read news paper to them as both of them are visually challenged!

This is the only way we can bring in a counterculture to the arrogance, neglect, exploitation and selfishness we see in our indifferent society!

There is virtue in bearing fruit, no matter what is the circumstance!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

Fragile and colourful!

Every time I pass by these flowers during my morning walk at the edge of our garden, I am made aware of their fragility! If you were to touch them roughly, the flowers would  drop off to the ground. However the flowers would withstand a gentle touch!

We are constantly in 'touch' with each other. We touch others through our look, voice, words, responses, listening, caring, thoughtfulness, etc. 

There is a language of harshness which has captured the educated society in India that it is reflected in the Television debate. Even if the debate is on a topic on which all the participants would agree, there is a tendency to be discourteous and inconsiderate! Some shows have even become shouting scenes and accusing conversations! I wonder whether the producers realise that this aggressive tone they advocate and consent to is sowing seeds of intolerance and disinhibition with our words and attitudes!

We would win or loose together! There is a desperate need to return to be gentle with each other even if we have to disagree! Humans are fragile and it is our words that would build relationships! What profit is for humans if they are economically prosperous but become enemies of each other!

During this season of lent that followers of Jesus of Nazareth practice as a self induced discipline, may we meditate on becoming more gentle and caring so that love becomes the interior language of all our thoughts !

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

Dulce's lamenting position!

Since Anna left for Ludhiana two weeks back, Dulcie comes to the place where Anna normally was seated on her chair and table. She sits next to the chair and keeps looking at me. Her look on such occasions is different in intent and content. She does it almost every time I come to the room.

I am surprised that in less than six weeks she developed that bonding that she conveys her 'grief of separation'! She would look for Anna even in other places!

All of us are inherently connected with each other. The language of nature is love, care and self giving!

In the recent weeks, there have been much tensions in some parts of India among students, on account of breakdown of this trust and love relationship between people!

A nine years old child who came for consultation, asked me, 'why is that there is more violence than love shown even in romantic movies?'

We reap what we sow!

As adults we need to question our approach to build relationships rather than think of everything as business, enterprises, or profit and gain opportunities! Humans are larger than utilitarian in composition and character! 

Oh, that we would become humane and relational by choice as that is our calling to be!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Lillies in Summer!

The lillies in our garden normally blossom twice a year, one time is now! These flowers are richer in colour during this season!

We have rows of these lilies all along the edge of of our garden and they are usually a visual delight whether they are in blossom or not! When they are without flowers their bright green leaves bring a good look to the garden as they are in rows and stand out because they are taller than some other flowering plants  in the garden!

These flowers last about ten days and they would last a few days when used un table decoration!

If I remember well, Anna brought a few bulbs of these lilies from Nilgiris when we were living at Vellore in the late nineties. Since then, we gave away number of shoots and bulbs to our neighbours and we had plenty in our garden at Pondicherry and now we have them in our cottage!  

It reminds me of its nature- to multiply wherever they are planted!

It is a message to carry within us! We are to be gracefully present wherever we are located!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Summer fruits!

We are expecting a good harvest of wood apples during this season in our garden!

This tree is already a haven for squirrels, parakeets, minas, etc.

The nature has its own way of bringing its abundance during all the seasons!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Sighting and shooting!

With the summer setting in, I sight more birds in our garden in the early morning period. 

I sighed pairs of parakeet and wood pecker for the first time in this season! Although I had the compact camera in my hand, I had a urge  to go in to get the SLR with the zoom lens for take better shots of these morning visitors!

I am glad that I resisted that fancy and stayed on to watch their romance during their short presence!

It is a pressure for any photographer to shoot good pictures and every sight of photogenic scenes brings
out that urge! Sometimes, what we miss out in our hurry to shoot a photo is more than what we gain from a photo! Some of these birds have a natural visual and emotional appeal which would last for long in our visual memory!

Being able to appreciate something fully and not to yield to a compulsion to convert it into a photo is a difficult discipline.

While on a walk with Katharine and Peter, I stopped so often to shoot nature sights that, Peter gently asked me, 'are you enjoying the sights or only taking photos'! 

Im glad that hose words came back to me and I felt freed by a compulsion to take better pictures!

I would have lost a lot if I missed those few minutes, because what the birds displayed  was their dance of joy!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

After a drizzle!

The leaves and flowers have a new look after a drizzle yesterday evening! The colours have a richer tone!

A short time of interior silence in meditation is like a drizzle to our soul, because God of mercy fill us with  His refreshing goodness!

M.C.Mathew 

Summer greetings!

All the desert roses in our garden are in blossom now. They are the favourite plants of Anna and it is a pity that Anna has to be content with just the photographs of them during this summer as she is now away at Ludhiana!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Beneath the surface!

 

The level of water in this lake that I see only occasionally receded with summer setting in! I was surprised to notice the broken trunk of a large trees jetting out above the surface of the water.

In fact the tree trunk seemed to rejuvenate itself with shoots emerging form it!

The tree has had a past and it was submerged for a long time!

A lot of our past remains concealed in our inner lives.

A father who spoke to me about his anger towards his five year old son because of his disobedience confessed to me that he was badly treated in his childhood by his father! The memory of anger and humiliation suffered return to him every time his son does even a trivial mischief!

All of us need freedom form our past, whether it be guilt, humiliation, anger, hurt, etc! Listening to the conversation going on in our mind whenever we revisit our past is one way of hearing to become conscious of the liberation we need to live freely and fully!

It is by welcoming our past in a friendly disposition we can counsel our soul to its fullness of joy!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

The bird song!

Most mating birds have a morning and evening rhythm! The male bird would  sing and most female birds although not good in singing would produce some bird song in return!

As I watched this romance of two mina birds, I was fascinated by the reciprocity in their singing! The male bird would sing tunefully and its mate would make a monotone, but good enough for the male bird to sing even more tunefully!

It is more than a chore because I noticed their attentiveness and listening intent. They were perched in the same tree in the adjacent branches. There was a language of love that was being communicated!

I watched in the NDTV an interview Prof. Muhmmed Yunus gave to Mr. Shekar Gupta. Towards the end of the interview, Shekar asked a most difficult question, 'how are you coping with the terrible experience of the government of Bangladesh taking over the Grameen bank you founded?' After a pause he said, 'it gave me an opportunity to start Grameen banks in 11 cities in the Unites States of America'. There was no bitterness in his words, although some regret. 

Prof Yunus overcame a difficult experience by doing another good act of service to people in another part of the world!

The bird songs shared by these birds arise out of their belonging to each other!  We belong to each other as humans! If so the exchange between us can only be affirmation of belonging!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)  

Summer flowers!

There are some flowers which are unusual. This one belonging to the family of legume which I happened to notice during my walk. struck me because of the remarkable blend of colours and the arrangement of the petals!

The other day, when I went to buy some paint for our cottage, the shop keeper mentioned to me that it is a good idea to blend colours like the ways flowers do!

That made me to revisit the photographs of scores of flowers, which I shot during the last one year! I was fascinated by the colour blends in flowers which make the flowers special and visually appealing! 

There is something spectacular in nature, which all of us can discover all the time! The gardener who works for us drew my attention to the tiny yellow flowers which grow wild in the the lawn grass. The five petals of each flower although is less than a centimetre, its brilliant yellow colour spread out in the grass make the lawn look like a flower bed! In the early morning sun with the dew shining on the flowers it is a spectacular sight worth watching!

The nature is a display of the mystery and wonder of creation! There is a touch of God's handiwork in  nature in it fullness!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Another farewell!

As we bid farewell to Lekha yesterday, we recollected many pleasant experiences and memories associated with her during the last six  months o the time with us. Lekha is getting ready to leave for Canada shortly.

As a Nurse Educator, she brought skills and experiences we desperately needed in the department. 

Her earlier experience as a nurse in charge of the Hall of Residence of the developmental Paediatrics unit, at CMC Vellore was most valuable for us as we are almost ready to start the services of Hall of Residence at MOSC Medical College.

Lekha was an exemplarary colleague, who sensed what was needed and did that quietly even before we had thought about it. Her willingness to look at the different ways of our work culture and the ways of reaching out to parents and children in need gave us new insights and clarified for us our strengths and weakness.

Lekha's was the fifth farewell in three years which remind us of the short stay of professionals in the unit. This is a reality we have to come to terms with when many domestic pressures compel the professionals to move on to better prospects!

I feel most privileged to have had opportunities  know some outstanding colleagues at work! Their commitment, calling and caring spirit inspire me each day! At the end of a long day, I return from work refreshed because others touch my life with their kindness and thoughtfulness!

MCMathew(text and photo)

    

Dress tradition on a Sunday!

I happened to notice Gigi and Anna in conversation whisk we were at a retreat a few months back. I noticed that they both had worn a white dress. There were tow other ladies also in shades of white. It was a Sunday morning!

Gigi mentioned to me that it was a custom for men and women to wear shades of white on Sundays when she was growing up. The church goers practiced this then and it continues to be so with people who were brought up in this tradition! This tradition goes back to the resurrection morning when an angel appeared to Mary at the tomb of Jesus, to announce to her pointing to the empty tomb that  Jesus  had risen! The angel's dress was presumed to be white1

There is a legend or tradition behind many habits we follow.

Most traditions have a story worth recollecting in order to decide which tradition needs continuity!

Sometimes practicing traditions blindly takes precedence over its significance!

Every tradition needs merit of attention only because of its larger meaning or purpose!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)  

Gentle Guiding!

In this game the lady although blindfolded  was guided to drop her balloon in a bucket by others by the pressure of touch on her shoulders!

As I watched this game, where no words were spoken and participants except the last person in the single line formation kept their eyes closed, the lady carrying the balloon who was blind folded was guided by the effect of touch to find her direction towards the bucket placed about fifteen feet away from her. The last person whose eyes were open in the line pressed the shoulder of the person standing before her to give direction to move and that person in turn did the same to the person in front. The lady carrying the balloon who was blind folded negotiated curves and arrived to drop the ballon in the bucket because she was well guided by the effect of touch. Every person used touch to communicate direction

It was a game with a significant lesson for all of us! Thank you Thomas for leading us through this game!

Touch is a gentle experience! If a touch experience can guide effectively, then all help we offer to others need to have gentle profile! Even our correction of others can have a gentle character. 

We build trusting relationships when we can relate cordially even in difficult situation with  thoughtfulness towards others!

I find this as a virtue to pursue inspite of my oft repeated failures. Yesterday, when I was not so polite to a bank officer, I realised that I failed again! But I want to be on this journey of learning to be gentle even in difficult circumstances.

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

Shades of opinion!

As I took pictures of the hibiscus flower from different positions in the morning sun, I was fascinated by the  display of colours sunlight produces    on the flower. The same flower but shades of colours!

I was at meeting of senior professionals discussing on improving facilities for patients who come to the hospital. The discussion drifted to arguing on an issue which was not black and white. Each opinion had a valid dimension and it was in bringing together all shades of opinion, one could actually appreciate the complexity of the issue under discussion. However there was more disagreement than clarity at the end of the discussion.

While returning from the meeting, a colleague mentioned to me that, ' we seem to believe in our opinions too strongly'. 

Others and their opinions can enlarge our thinking or make us argue for our position. 

When I audit my opinions on certain matters, I discover the value of other's opinions to move me beyond my own position.

We can listen in order to discern and be wiser! That is how shades of opinion bring the whole picture into perspective!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Beyond success!

Let me introduce this book that speaks a language of significance instead of success.

The author had set out on a journey of athletics and sports and was already reaching national recognition for his outstanding  success in which ever sports or games he participated. 

Following a freak accident when he became paralysed on one side, he remained confined for over 18 months in a rehabilitation programme. It was during this time, with all his aspirations shattered, he chose to set out on another journey of discovering the larger meaning of life, which he did over the next several years. He states 12 life principles to consider which would inspire us to look beyond success!

This book is a refreshing departure from the usual questions of 'how', and 'why' themes of self-improvement books. It is a book that reinforces our uniqueness and distinctiveness because of which each of us is significant enough! 

The book makes an assumption that life is a journey inward all the time! In that inward journey, we would discover treasures within. St. Paul refers to this treasure in 'earthen vessel' as the Spirit of God indwelling in us!

Let me recommend this book as a starter for anyone who feels that he or she is ready to take time to reflect and refresh by revising the theme of life!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

The cross in the morning sunshine!

Every time, Anna and I go to the Immanuel Church on Sunday morning, where we are currently worshipping members,  we are in  a surprise for the the way the sun rays cast the shadow of the cross on the window pane! It is different each time.

The cross at all times gets amplified in size with the sun rays fall on it. 

In fact it is this sight that I focus on while waiting for the service to begin!

The cross as a symbol of faith is central to those who are followers of Jesus of Nazareth.

While speaking at the National prayer breakfast, president Barak Obama brought in to focus the love language of the cross on which Jesus was hanged. Even at the provocation of rejection and undeserved punishment,  the words spoken by Jesus from the cross, 'Father forgive..'  exemplify the foundation of our faith. He referred to this forgiveness as personal and universal. He confessed that his greatest dilemma has been to reconcile between love and justice when he has had to take several decisions to inflict pain upon people to bring justice to others. 

We enter into another lenten season on ash Wednesday next week and it is the cross which would become the centre of meditation for the followers of Jesus!

The cross has a larger meaning and appeal to humankind!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

When the light is dazzling!

The sunshine falls differently in its intensity on these two faces, so much so one has to gently flex the neck to avoid the brilliance of light blinding his sight!

The desert fathers refer to God in an imagery as a dazzling light! We humans can behold only a faint view of God because everything about Him being eternal, temporal beings can experience the reality of God only in a limited way!

However, what was revealed in Jesus of Nazareth about the nature and character of God was enough of the fullness of God which any humans can experience. 

Light we cannot behold fully, but its impact makes us journey from darkness to Light! 

Humans long for for more of this Light because it is Light that enlightens us to live our lives purposefully! Only this Light can reveal to us the significance of our life ! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

The waiting is over!

The rice field is ready for harvest.

Anna and I watch this field from the time paddy was planted four months back to its present state of being ready for harvest, as this field happens to be on our way to the hospital where we work!

We have often seen the farmer watching over this field  and doing all that is necessary to prepare for the harvest!

A farmer waits for this moment! Now that the waiting is almost over, I wondered what the farmer would  think about his efforts and the outcome. 

Jesus of Nazareth talked about this experience of the farmer. Th sower sows and goes to sleep and he does not know how the seed sprouts and grows! It is an experience that is beyond just biology of growth! It is the process which begins by one seed sprouting to multiply into several corn heads!  the seed when buried under the soil brings forth new life!

Some of us who feel challenged and subdued by the demands of living can draw some inspiration from the fact that, it is when we can let go, there is prospects for new life!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

Came single, leave united!

Every time I listen to the final benediction at a marriage service, I am conscious of the transformation that took place between the beginning of the service and the end of the service! The couple came single accompanied by their parents and at the end of the service they walk through the tile united to live together!

Symbolically this union has happened when they say the vows to each other in God's presence and in the company of the congregation!

It is a mystery and adventure! As Anna and I attended this wedding, we were almost on the eve of our 41st wedding anniversary. We are still experiencing the blessedness of the mystery of marriage. It is also a challenge because through this union, the two shall 'become one flesh', which happens through mutual self disclosure and living in the covenant relationship! 

Marriage is the most blessed experience to those who are ready to explore the joys of life through shared experiences with your life partner who is often better than yourself ins some dimension orr other!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Black and white!

Thanks to the soft ware access most of us have in our computers, we can make the colour photograph into a black and white frame! Although it wont't be the same as shooting in black and white mode, it nevertheless reminds us about what we are missing by abdicating black and white photography altogether.

I got introduced to photography when the colour photography was replacing black and white! So I did not have a good exposure to study the richness of the black and white photography. 

Recently, in most international magazines there would be some black and white photographs to tell us something about its richness in tertian aspect.

One aspect I have begun to appreciate is the special texture it provides to human faces! It brings out human face in a unique way especially the mood and emotion if they are just subtle! The colours subdue them sometimes because in the blend of colours some details are masked!

I have begun to experiment with black and white frames by using the soft ware to compare the differences in colour and black and white! It is fascinating hobby to enhance visual observational skills!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

A meal !

Some of us had a good exercise to make a guess of the calories, fat  and protein we were about to consume  when we sat for lunch at the suggestion of a wellness fan. The youngest among us had this plateful of food, who being a wellness fan explained to us that he tries to keep protein and vegetables as his main focus while serving himself. He would have had one chapatti normally, but he made it into two this time as it was a special meal.  

He is fit because he exercises and keeps a close watch on what he eats. He avoids snacks and in between meals as far as possible. 

He spoke at length about the carbohydrate overload in our food habits and its challenges for the metabolic state in the body. He insisted that we go by the waist-hip ratio and not even by the BMI and weight! 

What spoke to me from this conversation was th emphasis on making exercise as a habit and eating well and skipping one or two meals a week, preferably in the evening. He questioned some food-exercise regimes which advocate missing breakfast and having a mid morning snack! 

On can get confused on how to keep fit! The consensus was: eat just enough, exercise well, sleep on time and keep a cheerful spirit!

The challenge is to make that into a rhythm!

M.C.Mathew( text and photo)