The seasons of Autumn!

I recall watching the autumn colours of trees while visiting a city!

The autumn is the season when trees celebrate their colourfulness and become ornamental. The avenue trees on either side of the street,  the trees in the garden, and the trees and shrubs in the wooded areas, join in this maze of colours, which often last for about three months.  

During the holiday that Anna and I have been able to take, the theme of our conversations has been the autumn seasons in our lives, since we got involved with Child Development and rehabilitation forty years ago.

Now that,  the involvement is likely to formally come to a close with my present contract with the institution where I work ending in two months, it is a time to recall the several  fulfilling experiences in this clinical journey. 

From the starting of ASHIRVAD Child Development Centre at Chennai in 1983, there were some experiences which have surprised us immensely. 

In fact what comes up in our memory lane is the story of befriending families and their children who were developmentally challenged. We feel grateful that we were invited to listen and feel the journey experiences of children, who endured difficulties and moved on to make their life experiences a learning journey. We feel overwhelmed by the courage and resilience of parents who endured trials and used opportunities to draw inspiration to live meaningfully!

There were set backs, disappointments and some unfulfilled dreams. But just as the autumn colours become the highlights of the autumn season, all the fulfilling experiences subsume the difficult times. 

The memory of the autumn and the hope of the Spring often help us to go through the winter season. 

Anna and I remember the members of Board of Trustees of ASHIRVAD, Friends of ASHIRVAD in Germany, Britain, Australia, India and other countries who made it possible for us to  go on thus far. The professionals who made our involvement supportive for parents at Chennai, Nagpur, Vellore, Pondicherry and Kolenchery remain in our thoughts because they envisioned and designed this journey by their faithfulness. 

Anna and I remember the seasons of autumn in our forty years with gratitude and gladness!

M.C.Mathew(text and  photo)