The colours of a garden at sunrise !

I watched this garden above around the Scudder auditorium at the Christian Medical College, Vellore changing the hues of colours during transition from twilight to sunrise. The pictures above when the sun rays covered the garden, created shadows on the foliage and lawn in the garden. 

At dawn and dusk the sun rays do not cover the garden, the garden has a uniform look without shadows. 

The shadows are protective! There are many plants and flowering trees that need shade for good part of the day. 

When I sat in the auditorium for a meeting later in the morning, it occurred how those who were singing or speaking or testifying, offered exhortation, encouragement, and anchor to younger people! The listeners were largely students. 

It is this that formed within me the complementarity of light, trees and shadow. 

The elders who initiate younger people into life, profession and vocation grow in their shadow. The elders are like the trees who give the safe space for the younger people to grow and blossom. 

It was while listening to a professor who is about to retire shortly, I picked up the cohesive concept of light, trees and  shadow. He was in the stage of handing over responsibilities to younger people. He told me that he was facilitating his younger members of the team to become trees who will offer protective shadow to younger professionals. He takes the clinical ward rounds only once a week to facilitate the younger people to move out of their safe presence in the shadow ! This professor reminded me that 'elders have been given to grow into trees that can give shadow to younger people to allow them to grow at their pace' !

The wisdom and knowledge seniors imbibed were given to them, according to St Paul, who said, 'What do you have that you did not receive' (I Corinthians 3:7) ! It is the sunlight that nurtures the trees! The trees fade away after a while for the saplings in the shadow to grow into trees. This is the essence of 'passing on the torch'. 

The garden of life consists of trees who create shadow to allow the growth of many !

The photo below is of a portion of the garden around our cottage, where birds come to feed and trees provide shelter to birds !

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)