The joy of living!

I heard a Magpie robin in its tuneful bird calls in our garden. It was a chorus of glad tidings. I felt its resonance within me. 

It aroused within me a thankful chorus of some recollections about Anna as she was nearing her birthday. 

The five thoughts which surfaced in  my consciousness were these:

The Joy of togetherness. We are about to enter forty years of married life, which brought experiences of goodness and gladness. I felt grateful, that from the time of our courtship, we grew in nearness to each other with growing trust and mutuality. There is freshness and newness in our  relationship which we cherish, arising out of  the many shared experiences we have been through. I feel that Anna's desire to make our home a cheerful place of welcome and caring, helped our children to grow up in an accepting and affirming ambience. 

The pursuit of our calling. We have had some experiences, which were turning points in our lives. The birth and home call of Anita at three months was one such major experience. That loss and bereft state turned our attention to a new pathway of pursuing our professional path from what we had considered earlier. In that pursuit, we felt near to each other to envision and engage situations which needed discernment. Looking back over forty years in our professional involvement, what stands out is Anna's openness to be in a giving role! She delayed her post graduate training till children were older and the home was reasonably stable. 

The home making. From the beginning, Anna was able to create space for children and to accompany them in pursuing their interests and skills. After they got marred, Anna's generous welcoming attitude to their spouses brought easy transition to new frontiers in relationships. Since grand children arrived, Anna kept them close to her heart and felt for their needs. The level of communication with both families is one of caring and not imposing, which brings ease and comfort in communication. Now since retirement as we live alone in our home, I realise how Anna has made our time at home refreshing with mixture of experiences to allow us to grow and share the joy of togetherness. 

The stewardship of resources. Anna's ability and prudent practices have helped us to live reasonably frOm our resources although both of us do not have the benefit of a pension. We live well and feel comfortable because Anna's planning and foresight made it possible. I felt enthused by her efforts to support people in need and carry a self giving attitude. Recently the domestic worker who helped us forty years ago needed help for which Anna organised medical help. There is joy in giving and cheerfulness in seeing others do well. 

The Rhythm of living.  I like the way our day begins and ends with certain regularity and predictability. When we visited Peter and Katherine in their home, we noticed how they do what they do with a sense of presence. They lived their retired lives in their cottage with a sense of nearness and affection for each other. They made their home a cheerful place by taking delight in what they do and communicated a sense of contentment. Anna's interest in some creative activities make our home a place of resource to others. People visit us to feel encouraged and experience how small things can be done with delight and from within. 

The Magpie robin was tunefully singing. It brought cheer and joy. 

To be able to live with an orientation of gladness needs a discipline of integrating experiences to feel wholesome. It is this attitude, I often felt about Anna. There is a depth and insight that she communicates through her being and doing. 

I feel loved, protected, affirmed and encouraged! What a gift of love and life that Anna has been!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)