Wayside flowers!

 The flowers greet the passers by !

The pleasure of being greeted by flowers on either side of the street is a delight that I look forward to during the walks!

Another morning walker stopped me to enquire about my interest in flowers. He has a garden in front of his house in the same locality. He pointed it out to me and invited me to visit his garden. It was already beginning to drizzle. I needed to return home. He told me something significant during that short conversation. He quoted from the book of the Ecclesiastes in the Bible, chapter 11, verse 1, 'Cast your bread on the surface of waters, for you will find after many days'. His suggestion was that gardening is like that. One plants and in due season the plant gives its yield, flowers and fruits. 

I remembered what my parents did about sixty years ago. They planted Nutmeg trees in the land around our home. For about fifty years now we receive a good collection of nutmeg fruits every year. In fact it became a source of income when my parents retired from their teaching positions. It involved watering the trees during summer months and manuring them twice a year. They grew to be tall trees now, still yielding fruits. 

The phrase, 'cast your bread on the surface of waters' to me is synonym with giving without counting the returns. What is bread in water! It dissolves and becomes food for aquatic beings. We cannot control the outcome or define our expectations. The bread crumbs will get carried away to long distances. 

This is one way of living! Giving as much as possible to make a difference! There is anonymity while giving. Giving is to share without expecting to be known and acknowledged! 

The plants in the phots above received such a goodwill gesture, and they flourished to give flowers!

Giving brings new life ! To foster new life or to upbuild life is e purpose of giving!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)