A squirrel arriving at the feeding station for its feed at day break! The squirrels are used to coming to the feeding station after birds have come and gone. This squirrel, one among three or four, who come regularly, came hesitantly, unlike other squirrels who come with a flair and brisk movements. Its hesitancy was evident in its slow and cautious movements.
I noticed a rose flower in the rose bush next to the feeding station. Its solitary still presence caught my attention. In a day or two the petals will wither and fall to the ground, leaving its pedicle as a reminder of its presence. Each day the plant was watered and cared for!
A squirrel and a flower benefit from the provisions in a garden. They are nourished and preserved by the garden! They are in the bottom of the hierarchy of beneficiaries of a garden. And yet they too get looked after and feel provided for! They can receive only what is provided for them. In one sense they are vulnerable to be forgotten or left out!
We live among people in our neighbourhood who feel alienated or marginalised!
The lonely feeling of having to fend for themselves is a strong among some. During a visit to a home not too far from our cottage during a new year visit, I felt the grief of that couple with both children overseas and both of them feeling worn out with illnesses compromising their health. They have their retirement benefits and good conveniences. But they do not experience the joy of being loved or remembered !
The five components of emotional intelligence which Daniel Goleman proposed are: self awareness, self regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill. These skills decline or get subsumed by the woes and demands of existence.
During the last two years, when Anna and I do not have a work place to go to each day, our orbit of social relationships too has declined. That creates a void. Anna and I have a practice of calling one or two people for conversation each day. We feel the need to stay relationally alive as others too feel the need for the same.
The squirrel's solitary experience and a flower's quiet presence brought some thoughts about the loneliness, which is a common feeling we come across. It is only when we feel wanted and have relationships to stay connected, life is thriving !
This calls for mindfulness towards others !
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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