A branch and a leaf!

I watched these two birds in our garden and found to my surprise two different patterns of behaviour of t avians. 

The small Barbet chose the safe and secure branch for its to perch. The red whiskered Bulbul chose the palm leaf!

The Barbet had ensured its safety and the Bulbul was perched on a leaf that would sway in the wind!

Two different perspectives on life and living!

One is to make sure that one's safety and prospects are secure. The other is to accept vulnerability and stay susceptible to the adverse situations for the purpose of living fully and freely. 

This spoke to me and held my attention. Looking back on the year 2021, I find that my work place situation took me thorough a phase of immense challenge and downfall in my credibility! I found that the number of children coming to avail our services were declining. It took a while for me to get to the bottom of the matter. By then the management of the hospital had suspicion of my ability to recover form this declining profile of the department. 

Thanks to the resilient spirit of my colleagues in the department that we have been able to redeem the situation and the number fo children coming to receive help from our different services have quadrupled in the last six months. The recent NABH inspection brought  encouragement to us. The department got included in the first list of few departments ready for the final inspection. A family who came from Tamil Nadu yesterday told us about the  value of our services for 'understanding a child and making the changes to suit the needs of a child'! A family from Bombay who keeps in touch with us on-line spoke about the hope and comfort we brought to the family in the last six months. 

The picture of the Bulbul perched on a palm tree leaf vulnerable to wind and storm brought a message of having to be at the edge and yet being able to live our vocation!

Some of us would find the safety of a branch and while some others are left vulnerable! Those who live vulnerable would also find direction and purpose!

The provisions we receive along the way are sure to surprise us. Anna and I were having a meal with a friend the other day. A stranger happened to notice that this friend had dropped  the wallet outside the restaurant. He brought back the wallet to hand it over! It was as if a kind hearted gentleman was arranged  to pick up the wallet! Our friend while going back to thank him found that he had lost his wife recently and was still grieving. It was a grieving person who was thoughtful enough to care for another person! 

Life is such a journey of slipping, falling and recovering. Many people support us in this journey. As we approach the end of the year it is a good exercise to remember such friends and strangers.

We would need to be open to remain vulnerable! We can comfort ourselves in knowing that 'He who watches over us neither sleeps or slumbers'! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)