I watched this Kingfisher beside our garden perched on a cable and staying vigilant for its morning feed. It flew into the air, which was too fast for me to capture in the camera, and returned to the cable with a fly between its bills. Having swallowed the fly bird call. What followed was a sight that occupied my thoughts during the day.
Another king fisher landed on an adjacent cable with its feed between the bills. It was during its flight to the cable it caught its feed. The body language they shared between themselves for the next few minutes before one of them flew away was interesting to watch. They shared the language of contentment and communication.
In just a few days I would have completed my ten years of association with the MOSC Medical College, where Anna and I served after our retirement from the Christian Medical College, Vellore.
As I reflect on the ten years, I recall how its former Medical Director Dr K.C.Mammen suggested to us to consider being at the MOSC Medical College for the next phase of our lives. That is what we did.
Anna helped in stabilising the Pharmacology department and began the research activities for medical students and created the Institutional Review Board, which she nurtured by holding faculty and student training programme in research methodology. It created a new process of engagement in the academic level. The students travelled to conferences in India and abroad to present scientific papers of their research findings and returned with laurels. Anna was able to help in the publication forty papers in different journals.
I was involved in developing a facility for the developmentally challenged children. That facility is now into its tenth year. It went through ups and downs. Every time there is a measure of stability one or more professionals would leave on account of marriage or higher studies. There was a crisis during the pre-COVID season where less than fifty children visited us in a month as against about 200 in the previous years. That necessitated a change in the way we ran our services. Now after about eighteen months of revising the way we function, the children and families who seek help have expanded beyond our expectation. The regular services and the on-line services seem to offer more access to families.
A conversation with a family of Indian nationals, visiting us from Ireland gave a new dimension to what we are called to consider. A five years old child with a large hyper pigmented skin lesion escaped being noticed for the underlying dysmorphic syndrome. When the therapy services which they sought for six months, by staying in India, did not seem to improve the skills of the child, the family needed help to know the way forward. When I suggested that their son's developmental challenges are related to a Neuro-cutaneous disorder which needed a more generous and creative approach, they felt that they needed a different outlook than what hey lived with.
Among a few other instances in June, which is when I complete ten years in this work place, this incident gave me an affirmation about the value of being present to people who feel burdened and drained.
When I was returning home at 8 pm yesterday at the end of the day, I felt a warmth within me of joy and contentment for having been in this position as a listener to path founders in life. During the on line meetings we have conversations with parents from eight countries. It is during these meetings, I have been made aware of the encouragement, listening can bring to families.
When people speak, they are looking for listeners who receive them and hear what hey say.
This message came to me while watching the Kingfishers. When one Kingfisher broke into a bird song another Kingfisher flew in. While on the way to be present, from where the bird song arose, the Kingfisher found its feed.
The two met to be present to each other, one after its feed and the other with its feed. This is meeting of the hearts.
What surprises me as I close the tenth year of my time at MOSC Medical College, is the experiences of meeting with parents, which on many occasions turned out to be a meeting of hearts.
This is the reason for joy and contentment that I am given to live with! It enthuses me that in giving, we receive to feel full and be overflowing!
When the Kingfisher gave away its bird call it received a visitor!
What more can I give away!
I want to be on this journey to give away more of the little I have!
The little I can give would be large enough for someone else!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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