There are times when one finds clarity and direction in a way that enables the decision making! I found a conversation yesterday with the leadership of the organisation where I currently work, helpful in giving me a direction about the next step as my contract ends shortly!
I was asked if I could design a project to start a school for developmentally challenged children, which was in the air for at least for five years now! I remember submitting four proposals for the future of the facility, to provide continuity of services for developmentally challenged children, during my eleven years at work, the last being a proposal to include developing a schooling facility. For various reasons, the proposal did not move into fruition.
Now I am at the threshold of 75 years and the working hours got extended to late in the evening during the last four years. I needed a break from this pace. I have had a longing for a while to modify this schedule to what is more appropriate to ensure wellness and transition to a more leisurely pace in life! So I was not able to accept the proposal to be involved in another spell of planning and developing a facility!
That brings to a closure my association with the organisation I work for now and I look forward to the month of July 2023, when I would be free from my current work schedule and responsibility.
In fact it brings me to a closure of forty years of journey in developing child development services at Chennai, Nagpur, Vellore, Pondicherry and Kolencherry. They were years of discoveries, leaning and growing. It is a time of celebration and grateful recollections of opportunities families gave me to be involved with them in finding a way for their children who were developmentally challenged.
I was glancing through my photo library of the recent weeks early in the morning today. The four pictures below of a sequence of a bird finding berries to feed on, held my attention.
The third photo with a berry between its beaks and the fourth photo of the bird in a ready to fly body posture, gave me a sense of comfort about the provision that I too shall find during this transition time, in my journey into retirement from active professional work.
What would occupy my attention now would be the writing projects which received in between attention in the last four years. Now it would be possible to revive the writing pace.
I feel good for having had a conversation with the leadership yesterday and coming to this decision to prepare for the transition!
A bird flies between its flight stations. That is how it exercises to remain flight ready. It tends to keep its wings and feathers dry and oiled to fly! It is this practice of attending to the personal needs and home needs, which suffered during the last four years, since the working hours got extended to late in the evening.
Now Anna and I would hopefully have time to renew contacts with friends, visit places where some of them work in difficult situations and choose a pace of living that corresponds with our age and abilities.
I find within me comfort and encouragement for having come to the other side of a stream of long years of profession work!
They were years which brought contentment and gladness!
I bow in appreciation and gratitude to about one hundred thousand families, whom I would have welcomed for consultation during the last forty years, who trusted me to receive services for their children. Their regards have refreshed me.
Let me also thank the management of the MOSC Medical College for starting a department to take care of the developmentally challenged children in 2012 and giving ASHIRVAD an opportunity to support the initiative. I leave this responsibility in the hope that it would offer ongoing support and services to children and their families.
I look forward to the time beyond July 2023!
God would offer provisions for the next phase in life. He is the Provider to whom Anna and I turn to!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
No comments:
Post a Comment