Flowers that last long!

These Ixora flowers have lasted for two months now and do not seem to have changed their colour or texture. Perhaps these are the longest surviving flowers in our garden.  

Th sight of these flowers remind me of the story of this plant. It is in the corner of our garden and is perhaps about thirty years old. It does not receive as much attention as the other plants in the garden. I suspect that we get used to the perennial nature of the flowers that they do not get noticed as much as other flowers, which live for a shorter period. 

I hear stories of children who grow up in some homes unnoticed. I recall of stories of pre-teenage children who feel that their younger siblings receive more attention at home. Sometimes parents have a feeling of them being older enough to 'manage' on their own. 

Of all the children, those in the age bracket of 8 to 12 who are often referred to as those in mid childhood are those who are ready to explore their creative skills in art, sports, reading, writing music, theatre, etc. But I get a feeling that they are late bloomers as they do not get noticed or receive support to explore their instincts. No wonder, most of them hide themselves using mobile phones as their entertainment. 

The children in mid-childhood need a formative support from parents, teachers and child development enthusiasts. They become what they are enabled and guided to become. The children's clubs organised in school to promote interests and skills of children are the place where children advance in their interests and pursuits. 

The home is another place where parents can promote generation and extension of interests. 

The mid-childhood is a long season in the life of a child. It is during this period most children would need mentoring for formation. Their thoughts are being formed and the aspirations are in the horizon. They can get directed to a wholesome view of life and opportunities or get drawn by what is transient and sensational, in which case they downsize the prospects of developing multiple competencies. 

A former Chief minister of the state of Kerala, Mr Oommen Chandy in a speech recently said that when he was between 10 and 12 years, he felt inclined to pursue a political career for himself. Now in his seventies, he traced his roots in politics to the pre-teenage years. He had some political mentors who guided him through a turbulent political career. 

I wish parents would become mentors of pre-teenage children rather than allow these children to drift in to anything less than what they are capable of. 

The pre-teenage years are the golden years in the life of a child, when they imbibe values that last!

M.C.Mathew(text a photo)