I am now familiar about places where the wood peckers come to in the morning during their flight movements in our garden. Often they come to the coconut palms where they can find insects hiding underneath the bark.
One wood pecker spread its wings either in an attempt to dry its wings or out of pleasure of findings its feed. The other pair of wood peckers located themselves besides creases in the bark to look for insects.
I noticed how a Barbet came looking for ripe papaya fruit, but did not find one.
I picked up a life lesson from this contrast! The wood peckers finding feed and the Barbet still waiting!
A family came to visit for consultation two days back with their seven year old son, who walked with the help of a walker due to weakness in his legs. I asked the boy, 'What is the purpose of your visit'! He instantly replied, 'I want to walk'!
At the end of about 90 minutes of consultation, when we explored different ways of making him independent in walking, I asked the boy a feed back on all the discussions and the exercise plan we arrived at with his participation. His response, 'I feel I would be able to walk'!
What sustains him is hope of walking! I felt amazed at his willingness to endure about an hour of physical exercises every day. I felt inspired by his family who carry that hope!
Although the reality is distant, it is hope that makes them move forward to do what is required to realise their dream.
I recall my childhood when, I saw some children in my school who suffered from post-polio paralysis. The Oral polio vaccine was yet to be part of the Universal Immunisation programme for children at that time. They walked by supporting their knees with their hands. The caliper, elbow crutch or wheel chair were not in use at that time. I refer to the late nineteen fifties and early sixties.
Now we have come a long way to find ways to help children achieve mobility, even after they suffer insult to the motor cortex in the brain.
It was Professor Jacob John, professor of clinical virology at the Christian Medical College, Vellore through his path breaking research in the North Arcot District, who popularised the oral polio cluster immunisation programme in India and introduced the injectable polio vaccine to eradicate epidemic of poliomyelitis in India. Dr Vinohar Balraj, who later became the professor of Community Medicine at CMC, Vellore was the field officer involved during those early years to study the epidemiology of the disease. Between both of them, they instilled confidence for clinicians and policy makers to embark on a National Polio Eradication programme. Thirty years later, we celebrate the hope that sustained them to pursue a path breaking research. They showed the way to protect thousands of children from having paralysis of limbs by contracting poliomyelitis infection.
The wood peckers found their food. The Barbet did not. This is the reality even today. Some live well and others still live with want.
The Barbet and the boy are similar in their aspiration. They are looking for what they need!
To be enablers for those who wait for their provision! This calling resonates within me.
As the Congress leads the nation in Bharat Jodo padayatra, starting in Kanyakumari on 7th September, 2022, I get a similar sense of a movement to take sides of those who feel marginalised in the current political dispensation! It is a timely action to high light the voice of those waiting for a place in the mainstream of social life in India!
This world is a place for those who find what they need and those who wait to find! I wish more would choose to be enablers of those who still wait for their provision1
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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