Flowering Palms

Most of the palms on either side of our driveway to our cottage are flowering presently.

Following a drizzle or rain, they have an ornamental and artistic look! What a difference the water drops make to make those flowers come alive with this special look! 

What does make our lives colourful! It is the acts of kindness we render to others. 

I go sometimes to one snack counter in our hospital to have a cup of tea. The staff at the counter have welcoming and graceful manners which make many who come to that counter go away pleased with their welcoming attitude. I heard a group of faculty members mention to me that they are happy to come to that counter for morning coffee because of the pleasing manners they receive from the counter staff.  

How we present ourselves to others have an impact on the wellness of others.

This keeps surfacing in our conversation in the department, where all families and children who come to us have a life long challenge of having to cope with the neuro-developmental needs of children.They come to us at different seasons in this lives. Some come exhausted and weary. 

Yesterday a family with their two and half years son came all the way from Calcutta. Their son was operated for congenital Hydrocephalus at PIMS, Pondicherry at 5 months of age and since then they have been to different places in the hope of getting help for his developmental lag. The child looked  incapacitated and emaciated. Both parents are in immense anguish and live away from each other over the distress of having to look after the child. They looked emotionally and financially at their wits end! They came directly from the railway station to keep the time of the appointment without having breakfast. We got in touch with one of our colleagues at Calcutta to find some help for them locally. We are seeking  ways to provide some support and to show them the way forward.

I felt challenged even more yesterday after the consultation. While discussing this with my colleagues later, they mentioned to me that we have a few every day who come with similar challenges. 

The world moves on with people finding their way and seeking wellness for themselves. Some people in distress,  feel waylaid by the burdens and travails far too much for them to bear!

Our domestic worker now 65 years old,  was detected to have advanced cancer with secondaries last week. This devastated his family and Anna and I feel terrible because he did not seem to have any symptoms during the last six months he was working for us.  The other domestic helper with us is a cancer survivor, after surgery, for the last five years.

How are we to be a light and hope for others is that question all of us have to ponder on!

The palm flowers come alive with a new look when covered with water drops.

We come alive to others when we can fill their lives with acts of kindness! Otherwise our lives have only a sterile and dry presence with no fragrance or radiance for the benefit of others!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)