A missed catch !

I noticed this Kingfisher taking a quick dive into the pool of water below in the field and returning with no food between its bills. 

It had got soaked in water and was quick to groom and be dry to continue the morning vigil for its feed. In the third photo above, we can see the water drops flying in the air, when the Kingfisher  flapped its wings and flipped the feathers to be dry.  

It was then ready to wait!

This habit is instinctual to the Kingfishers. It knows well enough to get ready for the next move. 

I pondered over it while rushing back to our cottage as it had started to drizzle by then. I had thought of waiting  to watch the next move of the Kingfisher. 

It's recovery time was ultrashort. It knows from experiences that catching a fish while chasing it is successful only now and then. 

It is over this matter I have recently pondered over a bit. After forty years in Child Development pursuit, I have many things to be abundantly thankful for! But a few disappointments have often surfaced to dissuade me from going on! It is one year now, since one such major incident of discouragement drained me for a while. 

During this protracted recovery time, there have been many signals of recovery and hope. One significant outcome is a booklet, that is now ready to go to the press for parents to monitor a developmentally challenged child at home. This enables parents to be informed about the observations they can make in the domains of motor skills, language, communication, social skills, pre-school skills, sleep, feeding, play, behaviour, home environment, etc.  This monitoring process can be valuable for parents to be vigilant to seek for help, when any developmental delay is noticed. 

This booklet is a summary of a long journey which started at the ASHIRVAD Child Development centre at Chennai in 1983, when we designed a parent involved home based developmental monitoring programme in a primitive way. Since then it got refined and is now presented in this booklet.

This might be unusually user friendly publication for parents! Shalini Shaji compiled it and Anna edited and formatted it to make it publication ready!

As this booklet is now ready for use for parents, I feel overwhelmed by some significant events during the last one year- publication of Bud to Blossom, Into the Tenth  year, and an On-Line weekly academic meeting in Child Development and rehabilitation jointly organised with Dr Vinitha Varghese of Physical Medicine department at Bangalore Baptist Hospital, now completing its 38th weekly meeting.

The last one year was like moving to the 'other side'! Jesus of Nazareth 'made the disciples to get into the boat ..to go to the other side...' (Mat 14:22). What they encountered was, '..battered by the waves for the wind was contrary'(v24). But Jesus came to them in the fourth watch of night walking on the sea (v25). The wind stopped when Jesus got into the boat. But it took a while for the disciples to know that it was Jesus who came walking on the water. 

There are missed opportunities in life, but they lead us to pathways ahead in our journey to   the other side, which means to me at this instance, going beyond! 

In the fortieth year of ASHIRVAD, Anna and I stay amazed at the turn of events in the last one year which initially frightened and shook us, when we came under the radar of suspicion for not being efficient or effective. 

Now we are at the threshold of new possibilities and opportunities. 

The Kingfisher missed its catch, but got itself dried to fly when the next feed is spotted! What a way to live! 

Turn disappointment into an opportunity!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)