Giving and Receiving

I was near this Hibiscus flower and looking at it with an interest to take in its colour richness and morphology.

That is when the butterfly came to rest on it. Suddenly the flower received a new status. Its nectar was probably what brought the butterfly to the flower. For the next five minutes or so, I watched this butterfly make movements with its body and antenna while the flower moved gently, but allowing this invader with no resistance. 

It is the nature of a flower to stay open and it gives its nectar to all who visit it. Its habit is giving. 

It receives first and them gives away. 

Receiving and giving are two sides of a coin. It is inherent to all flowers. The plant provides the flower with its shape, colour, and nectar. The hibiscus flower becomes handy for multiple purposes. I have seen children gather Hibiscus flowers to use during the prayer time. Some women use the flower in a paste form as a shampoo during the bath. It is medicinal and therefore used in some Ayurvedic preparations. It is a flower which is used to decorate a table on some special occasions. It is a source of nectar too.

A flower becomes something valuable to others. 

I remember a few instances yesterday, when I felt while being with families during the consultation, that listening was time consuming. When I could overcome that inhibition on a few occasions, I realised how that listening led to a new level of understanding about the unspoken needs  of a child. One mother in a grief stricken state talked about how she allowed her three years old child to spend most of his waking hours watching cartoons. He now uses  more Hindi and English phrases and words, often repeated without understanding the meaning or the context. His usual language level is lagging behind. Now is the time to find a pre-school admission for him. During the interview with a teacher he was not able to answer simple questions. It is this which brought the mother to bring her son for a consultation.  

A mother is to be self-giving to her son or daughter. It did not happen and now the denial of giving herself to read stories to him or play interactively with him is costing her dearly. 

Giving is a way of nurturing others. For parents it is self-giving to their children. Between spouses it is intimacy and nearness. For friends it is giving  to care and listen. 

Giving and receiving then would become useful for both involved. The flower produces fruits after giving away the nectar because it got pollinated. 

We stay as ourselves if we withhold ourselves from giving. Giving makes us gracious. It opens the door for receiving. 

We live to receive and give!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)