A broken twig!

This twig with dry leaves would have been broken away from a branch in this tree during a wind and rain. It stays dry and lifeless. 

Yesterday two events that happened gave me a first hand experience of how a relationship can suffer estrangement over a dispute. Our neighbour to whom my parents gave a piece of land at nominal price  to build a house thirty years ago, as they were economically disadvantaged, decided to sell half of the land breaking the promise that they would not sell it without giving us the chance to buy it back. The second stressful experience was that he sold it including a portion of the access road to our property which was carved out of our land to make the road. 

It was in the evening when we returned from work, I noticed the excavation to build the compound wall by the new occupant. I do not think that my plea and negotiation helped as the neighbour and the new occupant seemed insistent to ignore our plea. 

Life brings to us many experiences including some harsh experiences. 

I came back after this difficult negotiation. Anna too found it difficult. Dulcie came and sat at my feet and seemed to have sensed that I was disturbed as I refused to stroke her!

It is then I remembered the sight of this dry twig hanging in a tree in our garden. 

Somehow a small dry twig stands out and subdues the larger sight of the green tree. It is this which is a paradox. A small twig becomes prominent in our sight!

Anna and I discussed at the dinner table, how to make an alternate entrance to our property in case the present one becomes narrow due to the encroachment.   

It is for us to turn a difficult experience to an opportunity to go beyond the harsh experience and live life without being overcome by disappointment or sense of loss!

No matter how much one might feel about an experience because it happened on account of people whom cared for, it is importune to create space within us even for such people to receive them just as they are. 

The pilgrim journey cannot get stopped or waylaid because we are distracted by 'what we shall eat, what we shall put on or where we shall live'! 

The green tree to me became the symbol of life and the broken twig less significant in sight and perception!

When I woke up couple of times in the night, this inner consciousness to continue the journey receiving life as a gift to be offered to others was a  theme that called for my attention!

What matters finally is how hospitably we 'receive a neighbour' even when it is stressful to do so!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)