The colourful way of living!

The colours of nature bring an exuberant look and lift our spirit to feel connected with all that is given to us to cherish !

The plants bring a reminder of the silent presence with their full and free giving! The plants get swayed in the wind and storm; they overcome adverse weather conditions and bring their gifts to humans and others alike. 

The blend of all that is good and rich in nature creates the environment for us to live and celebrate the gift of living. 

I felt moved when a salesman in a supermarket accompanied Anna and  me to the car park yesterday, guiding us through the slippery wet floor and watching over our steps. He waited till we got into the car and moved away! It was his way of making us feel protected and taken care of!

That brought an unusual sense of wellness and care from his part to two strangers. Such is the abundance of human goodness, which when noticed would take us to a new level of living appreciative of the human environment we are part of. 

Most of us are able to show acts of kindness in a conscious way to bring an awareness to people around us, to create a caring ambience. The caring ambience becomes the norm when we act mindfully to help in a similar way that we would have liked to receive help ourselves. 

A garden is a reminder of the fullness of life plants. A society and community of people need such an experience of living in an environment, when human goodness becomes a shared experience where we live attending to the common good. 

A few men were working on the side of a road in the rain to divert the  flow of rain water to allow smooth movement of traffic on the road. When I noticed that they were volunteers from the adjacent shop, it reinforced my thinking that the goodness abides in human hearts.  

The human goodness is what would make our neighbourhood a hospitable place for us to dwell. The five year old boy, who after eating the packet of chips kept the empty packet in his pocket till he reached home to put in the trash bin, was acting out of the human goodness that he acquired from his family! 

We become hospitable and mindful when we regard others worthy of our acts of kindness!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

The bird movements !

The Sunbirds used to be noticed in our garden in the mornings and evenings on normal days, moving between flowers to gather nectar. Since the onset of monsoon, they are only occasionally seen. 

It is the nectar which is their attraction and reason for their visits. Now that the rainy season makes the flowers wet, the Sunbirds do not find a reason to visit the garden.

When I spotted the above Sunbird in the foliage all by itself, without any bird calls, I wondered if it is enduring the stressful season well!

The stressors are many for life to have a comfortable rhythm. When I was in the car service station yesterday for about two hours, I observed the movements and conversations of people at work. I wondered if work consumed them and reduced them to be emotionally depleted and physically weary! What was evident was a sense of hurry and not the artful way of working! I sensed a burdened look and low level of enthusiasm. 

It was a conversation with a supervisor, which indicated the reason for such a sterile ambience. The garage has enough work force to attend to twenty cars in a day. Often they are required to take care of thirty cars. The regular car servicing is about four hours. The supervisors are required to 'push' the technicians to work beyond their optimum. The supervisors and the technicians leave for home in the evening drained by the burden of work. 

It brought memories of my work place from where I retired three years ago. It was a place where work offered energy, enthusiasm and sense of belonging. The work space created collegiality which offered refreshing experiences. I went home most days with memories of delightful experiences of the day. The work space created an ambience of encouragement and cheer. 

On my way back home, I had this thought lingering in my mind about the two types of work places. One that enthuses the workmen and the other that drains the workmen! The work place is expected to foster wellness and motivation to be able work at ease and comfort to bring a lively ambience! 

A computer consultant whom I met yesterday, knowing that I was interested in nature photography sent me a few photos he took of vintage cars, which is his area of interest! He worked with a sense of presence and desire to stay connected with those whom he met! I was not yet another customer for him, but a person that he can relate to, for sharing a common interest. We both met for the first time yesterday. But the strangeness got dissolved when he discovered a common interest! 

To be able to see each other relationally is a gift ! The contrast between the ambience in the garage and the computer firm caught my attention. The workmen in the garage seemed to work under pressure and the computer engineer worked with delightful interest in those whom he met! 

I look back at yesterday and draw these observations for further lessons about Life, Living and Learning!

M.CV.Mathew( text and photo)

 

Becoming present with helping hands!

The Flowers at dawn and mid day ! The first two appeared rain soaked at dawn and the third flower at mid day looked dry and radiant!

They are the two different moods of the flowers in the garden during this rainy season. 

I felt disturbed by the shut down of my regular computer after having got used to it for eight years. An attempt to locate one to replace it did not happen even after contacting the different outlets of the apple computers. The prices escalated by about thirty percent last week end and the heavy demand reduced the chance of me able to get one.

I use this mac air now which is now13 years old, which is also failing with photographs having lost the colour richness and the soft ware unable to be updated as apple does not support this model anymore. 

I took time to reflect on the difficulty this experience created. I got engaged in an inner conversation about it which helped me to sense the   thought process that I am used to. 

The rain soaked flowers regain some of the colourfulness at sunrise, although the fragrance is not fully restored!

This is the blend of gain and loss, each of us experiences in our lives in our daily rhythm of life. 

There is a need to stay anchored with faith and hope because life events enrich us in some ways unknown to us when we engage and endure. 

I experienced this with two computer firms out of seven I contacted. Both those firms went out of their way to search for any availability of one in the net work of their shops or affiliated ones. They had alternatives to suggest, although it involved waiting! 

I have calls and messages from people who need some clarification or help or a desire to keep in touch. I felt awakened to the opportunity, such contacts offer to bring a word of encouragement or support ! 

I experienced a new level of consciousness about being sensitive to   the need of others when they call or contact. 

It is when one personally experiences the value of 'helping hands' one is further aroused to be in a similar role to others!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

In the fullness of time !

The nutmeg trees in our garden about seventy-five of them give their fruits for harvesting during this season. The months of May, June and July each year are the harvesting season. 

It is also the season for Bulbul birds resident in our garden to become pairs and begin their courtship. This is a time when we look around for their nests to keep a track on their formative journey to become a family. 

The becoming of a family is a major life event in the human journey on earth. During a recent discussion with a group of parents, I discovered how the family life is a major experience around which they weave their daily and seasonal events. A family after a holiday discovered that between their children there was so much intimacy, trust and acceptance that the couple felt challenged to have conversation between themselves about the way thy can grow into more trustful and communicative relationship. To hear from the parents how their children inspired them to seek to grow in depth of  between themselves was a heartening message.  

Anna and I had two days of outings in the last two days during which time we had conversations about the way our lives are further evolving and growing to find deeper levels of freshness and openness! 

The language of birds during the courtship is different tonal bird calls. The reciprocity we observe in their communication arising from growing intimacy is a delightful scene to watch. 

A home is a place where children watch the caring ways of parents between themselves. The parents watching the way children are spontaneously caring towards each other can delight them, which is  the fruit of their self giving as parents. 

For Anna and me while we live our lives in the mid seventies, we get a resonance from within about the joyful years awaiting us, while we live each day remembering that this becoming journey towards oneness is a gift.  We remain grateful for experiencing growing togetherness. 

What a privilege it is to stay connected with some friends and families of our children and feel supported and affirmed!

We live in the garden of life where relationships bring us to feel grounded. To be able to reach out to others in our small ways is an opportunity! In that sense, there is a fullness to this season in our lives. 

M.V.Mathew(text and photo)

 

The growing journey!

The flowers bring a new look during the monsoon season. The plants look healthier and the leaves look greener and fresh. I noticed that they are denied sunshine during the cloudy days. The soil is more moist than they are usually used to. The flowers have shorter life span than they have during the winter season. 

I spent a day with a groups of medical professionals recently listening to their experiences at work. I observed how they were glad to be together to listen to the stories of people and participate in discussing the different work related stressful factors. The tension between excellence at work and optimum attention to life at home was a real concern for most of them. 

It occurred to me that most people find their way of attending to this tension in creative ways to live well integrated. However the time for leisure, or to pursue a hobby or build deeper supportive relationships do not get attended to amidst the pressures that come upon them. 

The plant life has a rhythm even in difficult weather conditions. Mot of us too have a rhythm that helps us to live with composure and joyful experiences. When that inner wellness is compromised, the subtle insidious tiredness sets in which gets recognised rather late. The freedom to find a respite is not always easy. 

With a six day work rigour that is the norm, the Sunday in between cannot always absorb the demands associated with heaviness of work and home centred routines and transitions. 

The 'relaxation time' is occupied with watching entertainments in the visual screen. It shifts our mind to something lighter or humorous. But that is not restorative of the inner movements of ups and downs of the week. 

I happened to hear the experiences of a few who have set apart time for personal debriefing and interior silence during each day or two or three times in a week. They shared how they practice centerdness during such occasions when they attend to recollecting the learning and growing experiences arising our of the valley and peek experiences of each day. 

Carl Jung's  proposal of the journey from being a 'persona' to becoming the true Self in the individuation process, came back to me as a theme to pursue in mid life. The unresolved events in life add to the baggage of the persona and remain concealed in the subconscious. It is when we engage and demystify the baggage we carry within, we find the emergence of our true self with inner freedom, delight and hope to experience the peace that gives us energy to live above the feeling level and grow in the richness of our being!  

We are more than what we do in our profession. We are beings with a life purpose! A teenage boy goes to visit a senior citizen who lives in his neighbourhood to read to him newspaper and stories as he no more can read due to cortical blindness. He does it most days of the week and told me that, the time spent in this experience brings yet another reason for his learning and growing. 

Our source of wellness comes from different experiences. One source is mindful living to bring wellness to the lives of others. 

We add to our wellness when we can create space for others and attend to their needs.  

The flowers are a gift with their nectar, colourful presence and fragrance!

We grow to be our true self when we too can become a means of encouragement to others. 

M.C.Mathew( text and photo)

 

Beyond weariness !

 

The garden has its own rhythm during each season. This season brings a confluence of fruits raw and ripe and flowers looking dull, drained of their colourfulness due to incessant rain. 

It occurred to me that our daily life is a blend of fruitfulness and weariness while we go through the rhythm of each day.  

For some reason, which is not easily definable, the traction to focus on weariness is a common experience. 

A seven year child who was chasing to catch a dragon fly spent the whole evening chasing his desire. His was not a successful effort. At dinner time, while talking about it he mentioned all the different ways he ought to avoid while attempting to catch a dragon fly. He was observant enough to describe the flying behaviour of a dragon fly. He looked enthusiastic and reflective of the experience without any sign of  giving up on his plan for another attempt the next day. 

The plants are similar. Although the inclement weather might batter them, they continue fruiting and flowering. 

I watched how a teacher was organising a group of pre-school children to sing a song on the Father's day celebration in  a hospital. To get the group who looked distracted was an effortful activity. When they sang there was cheer and melody. The teacher's efforts brought the desired intent. I noticed the teacher focussing to get the children attentive which became possible. It was a tribute to her enthusiasm and belief in children. 

Our situations can appear to be demanding making us feel weary. But we are also blessed with an overcoming spirit and hope. 

To live in hope and aspiration is the gift we can bring to our lives. That is the message I receive as I walk in our garden! I wish I can live internalising this message when challenged by difficulties! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Father's day 2026

I was able to join in for the recollection of the Father's day, 2026 with two groups of Fathers on two subsequent days. What encouraged the resilience and delight with which they live their lives in their families with attentiveness to the formation of their children in an ambience of care and vision. 

The desert roses have an unusual steadfastness about flowering. They grow and flower. They grow sturdy to live longer and bear fruits! 

The parenting is a long journey with different stages of intensity to support the formation fo children. The time till the pre-school years is the season of early formative stage of grounding in the family life. It is form that rootedness in the ambience of a flourishing family children take off to begin their subsequent formative stages till early adulthood. 

As I listened to the experiences of journeying through family life and childhood supportive experiences, I felt moved by the consciousness and self giving ways most fathers talked about the primacy of attention they have invested in childhood formation. 

I came back with three thoughts form these meetings. 

A family who has the habit of conversation times with children stay intimate with their children. The parents know their children and children are close to their parents regardfully. 

A family who has a 'child centric view' of life modulate the involvement and communication contextually so that there is constancy of engagement and a plan for facilitating their developmental process. 

A family who resolves to move through difficult seasons patiently and trustfully would turn such difficult times to deepen relationships and nearness. 

The fathers in the two groups I met with, conveyed a heart of concern to lead the family initiatives to respond to the needs and aspirations of children.

A delightful experience was how some parents found their teenage children and young adults becoming their partners to discover the vocation or purpose for themselves ! The adult children lead the way for pursuit of their purpose under the shadow of the goodwill of parents.   

What a delight it was to listen to stories of pleasant transitions and hopeful relationships that fathers experience in their family life! They referred to the consciousness of being 'fathered by God'!

Three cheers to fathers for finding their mission in life!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)