Mindfully living and giving !

During this season of torrential rain, I watched how flowers behave in such a hostile situation. 

Some flowers are resilient and stay colourful, fragrant although fragile. 

Some flowers continue sharing their nectar to birds and butterflies who come visiting. 

Some flowers look soaked in water loosing its colour, lustre and fragrance! 

During conversations on phone I have with few people, who look out for listening ears, I find a similar spectrum of situational behaviour. 

Some thrive inspite of difficult situations and continue being an inspiration to others. Some are weighted down by circumstances but continue being fully present and effective. There are others who feel battered and depleted by situations and stay depleted of energy and enthusiasm. 

What sustains and uplifts a person is, when he or she would feel needed, valued and acknowledged. When a person feels drained and unable to be effective, that person needs even more support to feel carried through that rough terrain of experiences. 

At day break, yesterday, I was reminded through a telephone call, how lonely a person can feel, when overwhelmed by multiple demands! In a highly individualised world, where personal matters 'consume' full attention, we live overlooking the spoken and unspoken needs of others. 

A grandfather who visited yesterday evening, spoke about the sudden illness of his ten months old granddaughter who after a short febrile illness had gone into status epileptics, and is now left with hemiparesis.  He was trying to find help and guidance, but is financially exhausted ! 

What brought cheer and hope was listening to a clinician who through a social worker and counsellor reach out to people in different situations of need to ease them of the stress and strain of those burdens. The hospital where he works is a 'home' for those in the community! The home visits which the community health team make sustain those who lives through stormy situations. 

The flowers are fragile but are self giving to offer nectar. Some flowers feel battered by the hostile situations. 

I ended the day yesterday, recollecting the services of some friends, who live by 'giving' of themselves in a mindful way sustain others who are weary. 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

 

The integrated rhythm- flight and rest !

I happened to notice while editing the photos of a pair, that one Bulbul was resting on one leg ! Was it balancing on one leg or other leg was injured? It was a cold morning and was windy.

Those interested to study bird behaviour normally get intrigued by such sights!

The Google response to my question was that 'A Bulbul perches on one leg to stay warm by tucking the other foot into its belly feathers, which cuts down body heat loss. It is also sign that the bird feels relaxed, comfortable or sleepy'. 

Another suggestion I found was that, 'If the Bulbul holds one leg up constantly, looks puffed up and fluffed in distress, or shows blood or swelling, or a limp when tries to land, it may be hurt'. 

A third suggestion from the net was, was that, 'It might be resting a bruised toe or foot caught previously'.

The Artificial intelligence added further insights to this puzzle. 'A Bulbul perches on one leg primarily to regulate its body temperature and conserve physical energy. This avian behaviour is completely normal and is a sure sign that the bird is healthy, relaxed and comfortable in its environment'.

I wondered whether this was an attempt to conserve body temperature on a cold morning by pulling up one leg into its warm belly feathers as the bird looked otherwise present to the environment and chirping to each other in between. In my collection of photos in this series, there is no photo of swapping feet or switching between feet to give each foot a turn to warm up. 

I recall a bird watcher telling me once, that as birds spend almost their entire lives on their feet, birds would alternate between legs to allow rest to recover from fatigue. It would do so when it feels secure and restful in a safe environment. To fly off when perched with one foot is more effortful than perched with both feet. 

There might be different reasons apart from all of these possibilities, as they were a pair of Bulbuls probably in courtship in the process of becoming a family. 

I liked the idea of rest that is associated with the flight routine of birds. They incorporate and integrate rest with flight. They are inter woven not dissociated. It is from rest they move to fly and it is from flight they return to rest. 

It is a lesson to ponder upon! The avian rhythm of flight and rest and rest and flight is an ongoing rhythm of living. 

I wondered whether humans subsume fatigue by stretching themselves without realising that it would soon diminish their resilience !

I want to take the avian wisdom as a reasonable example to view rest and work in an integrated fashion. It is their integration that offers wellness. 

The calling to wellness is a soulful call, that needs our attention! 

We are to offer the gift of wellness to ourselves!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

 

The hidden interior!

In the parable of the Good Samaritan Jesus of Nazareth spoke in response to a question by a lawyer, 'And who is my neighbour' (Luke 10:29-37), Jesus revealed the heart of that parable : Samaritan who saw a wounded person lying on the road side, 'felt compassion towards him'.

That was the substance or the core of the inner self of the Samaritan ! 

When I noticed the flowers above, what caught my attention was the yellowish radiance in the centre of each flower! That is a distinguishing feature of these flowers. And yet it remains partially hidden. The outer petals look bright and rich. But the core of that flower is that radiant colourfulness in the centre of the flower. 

What resided in the interior of the life of that Samaritan was compassion! He was a soulful person, open to feel touched by the needs of others! 

The way Jesus described the outworking of that compassionate spirit is worth recalling: " ....He felt compassion and came to him, and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, and he put on his own beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him..." (v33-35).

That was the soulful language of compassion! Such a self giving action originated within his feeling soul! 

It is graceful to be remembered for one's acts of compassion and not so much for performance or achievements or public profile! 

The Samaritans were not very kindly thought about by the Jews of that time. The Jews viewed them as aliens, strangers and gentiles! This Samaritan although was travelling though a hostile territory of people who distanced themselves from the Samaritans, overcame inhibition and rejection to become present to a wounded person !

The Samaritan was inclusive in thinking and self-giving in action. 

I was waiting to hear a mindful recollection of those who suffer on account of war, violence, flood, fire, earthquake and unemployment in different parts of the world, in the independence day speech of the prime minister of India from the Red Fort in New Delhi. I wish there was an expression of concern and sympathy! That was missing! 

We become academic, sterile and preoccupied with self, when the soulfulness of compassion is missing at the core of our being! 

At the heart of the flowers above, is the interior radiance which makes the flowers graceful! A flower is a gift of nature, which it gives us all the time. Every flower is an invitation to humankind to be giving!

Jesus closed the parable with a dialogue with the lawyer who asked Jesus a question: Who is my neighbour?. The lawyer said to Jesus, that the neighbour was : The one who showed mercy toward the wounded man.

This brings yet another dimension to this parable. In the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in the gospel of Mathew 5, Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy" (v7). 

A man with a compassionate spirit is merciful ! That is a call for being and becoming !

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

 

The inward and outward movements !

 

The visit of the pair of sunbirds gave an indication of the plumage of the male sunbird shinning in an exotic colour complexion, which is the normal attire during the breeding season. 

Both Sunbirds planned their movements to feed on the nectar and flew away to their next flight station in the morning. The Sunbirds and the Bulbuls are the first visitors on most days in the garden at day break! They come knowing that they will receive a feed!

There is cyclone in China, flooding in Japan, forest fire in Britain, war in Iran and Ukraine, violence in Pakistan and Gaza and partial collapse of a road tunnel in Uttarakhand in india....!

Amidst the pain and distress, it is refreshing to watch the Sunbirds and Bulbul find their food and live seasonally ! 

There is a larger truth and sane purpose with which living beings pursue life on earth. 

That brings a consoling thought that life transcends the existential stress and strain! There is peace and tranquility deep within because of which we still have life treasured and valued in most civil societies. 

The labour of love and cordiality that people show towards each other is what is normal! All other experiences are an exception. 

When school going children voluntarily choose for a simple meal unlike the regular three course meal in some schools in Europe, to save to send food to schools in Ukraine, we know that children grow up embracing peace, goodwill and mindfulness of the need of neighbours! 

Let us live in hope! 

"We shall overcome,

We shall overcome.

We shall overcome, some day. 

Oh, deep in my heart,

I do believe

We shall overcome, some day.

We 'll walk hand in hand,

We 'll walk hand in hand,

We 'll walk hand in hand, some day.

We shall live in peace,

We shall live in peace,

We shall live in peace, some day.

We shall be free,

We shall all be free'

We shall all be see, some day.

We are not afriad'

We are not afraid,

We are not afraid, TODAY.

We shall overcome,

We shall overcome,

We shall overcome some day.

Oh deep in my heart,

I do believe

We shall overcome some day."

When Dr Martin Luther King Jr led the civil rights movement in the nineteen sixties with the above inspirational song, it became the soulful way of living for the Americans. 

At every distressing time in the history of humankind on earth, we have been left with indication of hope. It was the Quakers who brought a touch of peace and hope during the second world war! 

Most of us await for an awakening that shall restore peace and goodwill on earth during this troubled times! 

In the Biblical narration of a ship wreck (Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament of the Bible chapter 21), Paul, a prisoner, stood among those who were distressed and said: "...And yet I urge you, to keep up courage for there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship...". It happened the way as Paul said.  

This voice of hope shall resonate in our soul as we face the unknown of tomorrow in this distressing situation globally! The war cry from America. Russia, China and Israel cannot drown the voice of the soul within each of us: 'We shall overcome, God being our helper'! 

With what freedom and composure the birds above behaved amidst the heavy rain of the day. They found the recess between the rain spells to feed! 

That is a consoling thought that I stay with! Those who suffer would receive respite and mercy! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Knowing beyond the visible!

I happened to notice movements on a bunch of flowers about 100 meters away. It was when I looked through the lens of the camera, I was able to trace the movements and the colourful complexion of a butterfly. 

It was the movements of the butterfly on the flower, which disclosed the complexion of its designs and pattern. The lens of the camera became a help to see this in detail. 

We become known to others through our conduct, conversation and confession. 

It is when we can grow to appreciate the richness and depth in others we truly discover the profoundness in each person. Each person is a mystery. There is the dimension of knowing from a distance and knowing from proximity! The ability to know a person intimately is a way forward to build relationships appreciatively and affirmatively. 

It was through being in contact with an electrician recently for the repair work at home, I discovered how it was natural for him to do more than what was asked for! His helpfulness and interest to stay late into the evening to attend to a fault that evaded detection surprised me. He did not yield to my suggestion to complete the work the next day. He saw our need through our eyes and did what he did feeling for us. He revealed his openness and availability beyond personal inconvenience. That was a surprising experience for me. He went beyond the usual call of duty! His interest to help made us feel that goodness resides in each person which cannot be known from a distance. Our opinions of others are often based on our impressions of others from a distance and not through proximity of contact! 

The butterfly in the photos above through the movements revealed two different dimensions. When the wings were folded, very little of the colour complexion was visible. When the wings moved, one could have different views of the colours and designs. 

Even in a marriage relationship, knowing becomes a life long process through intimacy and engagement! If each of us is a mystery, we are beyond what we appear to be! There is more to us in the depth of our being, which each partner is invited to explore and find the convergence of joyful discovery of each other ! 

Knowing others is a journey! To be open to be on that journey is a sign of our authenticity to seek to know what can be known! 

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

Walking in to mid-life !

It is common to notice a Greater Coucal in our garden in the mornings. Often they stay stationary drying their wings and feathers to prepare for their short flights between trees and foraging for food in the ground. 

This ritual of drying the body is the way it prepares for its flights. It attends to this routine because that alone is the way it can be flight ready! 

I heard a survey report presented in a meeting suggesting that about 40 percent of people are overweight by the time they are in the fourth decade of life! That is the decade for many, when the symptoms life-style related diseases begin to manifest. 

It was while visiting the Coimbatore city, I realised how the civil administration has recently given a face lift to all the parks in the city. One park Anna and I went to for a walk, amazed us in the way it was converted to be a welcoming facility for adults and children wanting to come for a walk. When compared to what it was three years ago, when we visited it, we found that the walkway was tiled with plants on either side. The green belt had visually appealing plants and flowers. The two separate gymn for men and women; a play area for children, a Badminton court, posters with educational information about health and exercise, good seating arrangements for a family outing... it was a place which had an appealing look that people would feel interested to come to.  We found out that hundreds of people use the facility in the morning and evening. 

The family who took us to this park, use this place most of the days although they have to walk three kilometres to come this park. 

The message is: make place user friendly and attractive. People  then would want to come. The incentive to go to a clean and aesthetic place is a reason strong enough to overcome the hesitation of walking a distance to reach the park. That is a wise way of indirectly influencing people to a routine of physical exercises. 

The usual refrain is that:  our public parks are not well maintained. We found a park that looked impressive and ready to welcome adults and children! 

The discipline of 'body care' the crow pheasant practices is for its wellness. 

That is how it ought to be for us as humans, if we have to tame the life- style related illnesses of mid-life!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Turn taking conversations!

The small birds above in our garden made a difference by their colourful presence.  They were seen only when I looked for them. They were present but less visible as their bird chirps were drowned in the windy and noisy morning! 

The Taylor bird and the Magpie robin sing tunefully and make the garden sound musical in the mornings. 

But these small birds behaved differently as the Mynah with its loud bird calls conveyed a distressed tone! The body language of all the small birds showed a vigilant posture! 

All the Mynah birds in the vicinity gathered at the feeding station following this.

The cacophony that followed only added to the stress of the small birds. Each of them flew away in different directions. 

Those who are loud and dominate by what and how they say can make others feel reduced to be listeners in a group. I experienced this recently when one person wanted to speak all the time. The other six in the group could not find a space to share any thoughts! 

This can happen in a family. The adults can dominate and impose their presence through their opinions or by dominating the conversations. 

I noticed something encouraging while being with a family. The parents involved their two children in mid childhood, by talking about what interested them. The conversation proceeded by equal participation of children. I was impressed by the turn taking style in the conversation which gave children an opportunity to listen and to express. 

We can facilitate conversation or impose others to silence by the monologue! 

A home is a place, where we learn this turn taking rhythm in conversation! 

The imposed presence of the Mynah birds and the silent presence of the small birds in the garden- it was a contrast which brought an awareness about creating space for those who are quiet by habit to become expressive in a group setting! 

I took time to ponder on this: Does my presence and manner of speaking facilitate space, comfort and freedom for others to be themselves and to express themselves! Am an enabler or inhibitor in a group? 

M.C.Mathew ( text and photo)