The three rose bushes above during this flowering season indicate the transition to the flowering stages. The first two have fresh sprouting leaves and the third one has buds and flower!
Seeing them in the garden on the first day of 2026 brought thoughts of the promise the year holds for us !
This picture calls us to wait in hope and in readiness !
The news of a fire accident in a winter resort in Switzerland killing many who gathered for new year celebration was a shocking start of the new year. The loss and grief bring despair !
The media, both the print and the digital bring to us news of pain and agony that people go through on account of crime, violence or unfairness.
It is amidst this awful reality of turmoil, we receive the news of how Cambodia and Vietnam settled their border dispute peacefully before the year end of 2025. It involved negotiation and settlement which initially was a rigid position of both nations.
All the three rose bushes above, sprang to the flowering stage after they were pruned three months ago. The plants overcome the physical 'hurt' inflicted on them at the time of pruning and returned to bring new life with better prospects.
I re-read yesterday the first few chapters of the book, Go-Giver, by Bob Burg and John David Mann. The book tells the story of am ambitious young man, Joe who yearns for success. Joe is a go-getter. Having been desperate to get more business before the year end, Joe approached Pindar, a legendary consultant and life him with to associate with few others coach. Pindar introduces Joe to a series of 'go-givers' by helping him to consider another way of living and working through the power of giving! "Joe learns that changing his focus from getting to giving-putting other's interests first and continually adding value to their lives-ultimately leads to unexpected returns"(from cover page). The book is a tale with grit and grace making an appeal to revise the way we live and relate. Others become a reason for our being and serving !
The world does not become a better place because there are go-givers! But the go-givers become a leaven in society to flavour the consciousness of people for a reference point to go by!
The popular response that I hear when I say 'Thank you' to someone who helped me, is 'no mention please', in the place where Anna and I live currently. This baffled me. I wish that the acknowledgement indicated accepting my compliment in appreciation. I felt that my appreciation was not noticed or received.
The authors of the book Go-Giver proposed the 'Law of receptivity', which suggests: "The key to effective giving is to stay open to receive" (p111) !
I like walking in the garden because the plants are quietly present where they are planted. They live feeding us oxygen, offering their foliage to shelter birds, supplying nitrogen to the soil with their dry leaves, and offer flowers and fruits to strangers lavishly!
The year 2026 is a year of this option: getting or giving!
There is plenty we receive; what needs more attention is giving!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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