Roses in the rian!

Most of the roses during the monsoon look washed out and drooping. The buds look alive and ready to bloom! But the rain without the sunshine makes them look dull and gloomy!

In fact, there is  fear that winter days and monsoon season, when out door activities get restricted, some are prone to show depressogenic orientation!

A friend told me that monsoon season is a time for more indoor family activities. He bought a carrom board and few card times to have family times during this monsoon season!

That is an example of taking a lead to plan for the family to keep the spirit of togetherness!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

In between rain !

After ten days of raining, the sun was shining for a short while on Sunday. That made al the difference for the plants!

The dull looking leaves became brilliant!

The sunshine gave it its brilliant look!

This calls our attention to ponder over what we are given because of which we are what we are!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

The disagreeing look!

This is how Dulcie expressed her disagreement when she was not allowed to wander into the courtyard when it was raining. She looks for an opportunity to go out when it is raining and paddle in the water!

We let her ago out couple of times, to watch her play in the water! She would get soaked and dripping in the rain and come in !

Is it not interesting that even a dog has her favourite ways of play and behaviour!

Fortunately she knows when to come in!

Yesterday, I heard  a story of a child fo 8 years, who if given a chance would spend most of the time watching the TV! He seems to indulge rather than monitor his behaviour!

I heard another suturing experience of a father indulge in alcohol indulgently!

Dulcie's behaviour has a self correcting dimension!

That is a message of value!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

Farewell and Response !

Thangam summarised adorably the warmth of regards and affection of her batch of 2013 at the graduation ceremony of the batch of 2012 ! It was from her heart to the hearts of all in the batch of 12012.

Pranoy and Kirthana responded to it with equal appreciation and admiration for the batch of 2013 and the other batches of students!

Each of them used sarcasm as humour cleverly and praised each other lavishly that a lasting bonding emerged between the two batches through what they said and how they said! 

Friends of 2012 and 2013, you have been a reason for us to rejoice over what you you have become!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

Life is formed in and through fear!

The Biblical text in the logo of the MOSC Medical Mission makes me think!

A one year child while beginning to walk looking at the outstretched hands of his mother, takes faltering steps towards her and fumbles and falls into the hands of his mother! Is there anything more safe and sure than that! 

Th mother diffuses the child's fear and provides an opportunity to move on amidst fear! So trust overcomes fear, at least marginalises it!

As I turned seventy recently, what holds me tis his reality that fear is subservient to the consciousness of trust! The trapeze artist lets go of his swing to jump into another because a catcher is moving in the air between the swings, ready to catch the flier!

The flier is safe because the catcher is a sign of his safety!

Between the desire to trust and the reality of trust, there is a long hesitant process! So this text revives my hope!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Researchers of the batch of 2014 !

The research group of the batch of 2014 visited us today. At least five were not dog friendly to begin with. Dulcie was a hit with her mild and adapting temperament that even the five was wanting to play with her towards the end. They played games, chatted, walked around the garden, harvested Rembutan which Anna had kept for them.. and shared the luncheon fellowship with us!

Thomas, now a resident belong to the batch of 2011, too was present to grace the occasion.  It is with is batch Anna began formed the student research group. Now that Anna handed over the responsibility, it was good to have some recollection time with the last batch of students that Anna was involved!

For Anna and myself such occasions bring back memories of long association we have had with students. The medical students at CMC Vellore sued to come home on Fridays for conversation time which was referred to as 'Friday Forum'. Although chocolate cake and coffee was an attraction to begin with, it receded to the background once the conversation time took a useful direction! When we meet some of them occasionally, they talk about the formative impact of those conversations!

Thank you friends of 2014 for your visit and giving us a refreshing time! The joy of being teachers is when students find the teachers friendly, open and encourage dialogue!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo) 

Wood craft as stage decoration!

I found the design of the stage with slabs of wood on the background a pleasing sight to the eyes and a creative form of making the decoration ordinary looking not ostentatious. It was even cheaper than the usual way of floral decoration, I was told! Dr Ajith who brought this idea to MOSC Medical college is a consultant in emergency medicine and a former alumnus of the institution. 

There is a tripling of the earlier batches alumni, now going the faculty! This is one way of bringing in the sense of ownership of the institution! Dr Diwakar, the dean of the college told me that the had about thirty-five faculty involved in the preparation for the graduation ceremony! 

This I hope is the beginning of more collaborative and participative involvement from the faculty to bring a touch of a collective journey... !

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

The Pharmacologists!

The pharmacologists of MOSC Medical College! They are an innovative and enterprising team! They are an example and inspiration in medical research and publication of articles! They have recently created a skill laboratory innovatively for the under graduate teaching in clinical pharmacology!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

The three custodians for three hours!

These three compered the graduation function with comments and introductory remarks to make the three hour function go through smoothly! They did it admirably!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

An artist's view of the life mission of a cardiac surgeon!

The artist at MOSC Medical college created this illustrative piece of art on a canvas to represent the distinguished career of Dr Valaithan, an outstanding cardiac surgeon, founder of Shree Chithra Institute at Trivandrum, former vice-chancellor of Manipal University and currently a National Professor of Research! It portrays of fruits of his labour! Dr Valiathan is an institution by himself! It was refreshing to hear him speak on economics, ethics and technology in health care! He referred to this generation of doctors having to engage the challenges of post technological  transformation era in health care.! His overview on this theme from the vast experience of being a clinician, administrator and an institution builder! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Waiting for the occasion!

There is something ceremonial at a graduation ceremony! It is similar in most of the universities and colleges!

It is a transition of new beginning for the graduating students and occasion of farewell for the college! The college is in a mission year after year in generating batches of students who are sent out as doctors to fulfil their vocation!

M.C.Mathew (Text and photo)

Daughter, Parents and grandfather !

Kirthana received her graduation souvenir from her grandfather Dr C.K.Eapen, Professor Emeritus, MOSC Medical College, while her parents Doctors Jacob and Miriam watched this from the audience with delight and gratefulness!

To Anna and myself it was a delightful occasion as we have known the three generations of the family of the medical professionals of outstanding nobility! They walk the talk as professionals with a calling and vocation

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Graduation of batch of 2012 !

Every time I participate in graduation ceremony, my thoughts go back to the occasion of my student days! It is now forty years since that time!

What an occasion of prospects for their future as this batch of doctors walk away form their alma mater!

As the batch sang their song of farewell, I felt a sense of loss because some of them had become good acquaintances! Anna and I enjoyed conversations and contacts with them !

They embrace a future full of promises! They begin another journey... we shall remember them and carry with us the fond memories...

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

A tree with its colourful leaves!

It is usually in autumn, we come across colourful leaves in trees. 

So to me it was a sight of delight to watch a tree in our garden come forth in colourful leaves in the monsoon season!

With a rain washed look and an array of colours, the tree aprons the garden!

Life is given to us to bear richness of blessedness for otters!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Midnight celestial dance through 800 mm lens!

Anna woke me up around midnight to watch this sight of the spectacular lunar eclipse...I could have gone on for longer time to wait for its final, but for sleepiness overcoming me! 

It was an occasion to appreciate the transition form light to darkness! In that transition, so much happened. The Mars, adjacent to the moon, which I could not capture, as the magnified lens could not include it in the visual field, too had acquired a red glow!

I struggled a bit to focus with the weight of the lens. I wish I had planned ahead to have the camera mounted on a tripod! 

However, to watch and participate in the transition in nature was a awe inspiring experience! Now there is an enhanced consciousness of the mystery of the universe and an experience of the joy of living each of us is given! How blessed by we are to receive the abundance of sights and scenes in nature! 

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

Look is communication!

This is a still form a scene in the skit which the batch of 2012 put up on their thanksgiving function!

In that quiet pause between conversation, there was so much 'spoken' in silence! I loved that pause and what preceded and followed because the silence in between was full of communication of the unspoken message !

I feel fascinated, to watch such sights and occasions when silence speaks and words are not necessary!

The language of silence is full of resources for building relationships and communicating without hurting or burdening others with words!

It is necessary to bring silence central to our conversation. Short pauses deepen listening, feeling and internalisation of thoughts! Words when spoken from such pauses of silence have the potential to become treasures for the listener!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Selfie time...!

The evening of thanksgiving of the batch of students of 2012 was a selfie time...small and large groups in admirable posture to relive their memory of connections and associations!

As I kept watching this, with my camera in my hand, I noticed that I alone had a camera with me in the large hall of at least three hundred people. Earlier only few would be trusted to take photos with their camera! Now every person is also a photographer! The skills of photography is not the issue for consideration except in art circles. Communication to stay connected is the persuasion for photography ! The social media has created this change and opportunity!

I feel good that the technology has made humans more resourceful! Those who would not normally own a camera now carries the camera with them always! Human behaviour is changed by technology. 

I feel that even from childhood human behaviour is conditioned by technology! Some even become technology fans to live their lives in pursuit of more of it!

Communication is for human wellness! The social media does this well but there are stories of the opposite as well!

Use every opportunity to communicate goodness!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Music in their fingers!

Anna and I listened to these tow guitarists at the college function...they made their guitars produce music at their will! Their composure and style of playing added to the richness of music! They displayed depth in appreciation of music. 

The more I watch musicians, the more I feel that music also affects their lives and their way of life is affected by nether musical orientation!

I having had no ability to appreciate of music in my childhood, have been in an environment of music at home with Anna, Arpit and Anandit playing different musical instruments and Amy and Aswathy being able to sing!  

There is an interior inspiration and inward enlargement as we listen to music that corresponds to the orientation off our soul!

To be inwardly quiet to listen to music can be difficulty to begin with. But sooner or later, music itself creates inner readiness to listen beyond the voice or sounds. The language of nearness dawns on us as we get used to the practices of listening to the tune and melody! Sometimes instrumental music can be so rich that the words become a hindrance to listen!

Let there be music in our lives! It is one way of living beyond the existential and temporal level!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

In between five years!

At the thanksgiving ceremony of the batch of 2012 of medical students at the MOSC Medical college,  there were some recollections by the retired faculty and the present faculty.

One special feature fo their recollection was the names of the students they remembered and related to them in  personal way. 

When a teacher has such a personal touch with students, there is a fraternal relationship more than just a student-teacher formal relationship. 

I felt enthused by this because, it is such informal relationships which help students in foreseeing their role for the future, in their professional responsibilities. 

I had a visit from a resident yesterday, who is a conscientious clinician recalling the challenges he encounters from people admitted to the hospital whom he looks after in the hospital .... to me it was a moving experience of seeing a young doctor thinking beyond himself and viewing others through the optic of thoughtfulness and consideration! He too has the challenge of preparing for the NEET to qualify for post graduate entrance! Yet, this compulsion does not deter him from being highly responsible to those who he takes care of!

Teachers, this is how you impact your students!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

Batch of 2012

The graduating batch of 2012 in their thanksgiving service brought out the talent in their class, with singing, dance, skit, production of a short film and an aesthetically decorated museum of their memories at the entrance!   

What was outstanding was the closure, with each person carrying a candle light singing the song of memories and farewell ! It moved all of us!

Yes, they would be lights who would show the way in caring and healing!

They filled the packed auditorium with their optimism, hope, trust and openness to move on to their calling! 

Anna in her speech to them welcomed warmly into the fraternity of doctors and invited them to consider the privilege of being chosen, given and giving as move on!

M.C.Mathew(text dn photo) 

A recollective art !

The medical students batch of 2012, who completed internship and are ready to graduate this week end created an inviting art work at the entrance to the conference hall !

Their theme was SRISHTI! It was a recollection and projection of their life as a batch, having spent five and half years together!

The last picture was a tribute to their class mate who is no more with them!

I was fascinated by the symbolism of lights they used to represent the message of Creation!

It was the light in Biblical tradition,  is in the beginning of the creation story!

Anna and I felt encouraged by their insight and vocation to be lights!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)