The Sunbird above is a regular visitor to our garden. It makes two or three visits in the morning on different occasions from the dawn. It keeps coming back till it has gathered enough honey. The Hibiscus flowers in two bushes next to each other in the garden are visited by Sunbirds and Bulbuls.
The Hibiscus plants have enough flowers to feed the Sunbirds. The life of a flower is two or three days, during which time they feed the Sunbirds.
I visited the collection of photos of children with their parents that I have, who used to come to the department where I used to wrk. The parents came seeking help for the developmental needs of their children.
I received a letter from a family who visited to receive help for their child who was not able to walk at three years of age due to spasticity. The family sent the photo of that young man who is now independent and is pursing his education. The remark of the father was: " We felt guided at the right time...".
Every opportunity of engagement with others is potentially an occasion to make a difference !
What if listening or helping become a demand or a burden!
The 'giving fatigue' is real and every person in a giving role needs to keep a watch on the early signs of that fatigue!
One way to guard oneself from that downward path is to have a personal audit every week using a self administered check list to keep a track of the changes taking place in the inner ambience. Becoming aware is the first step towards attending to upbuild oneself!
The personal debriefing if possible every week is a necessary practice to stay inwardly alert and attentive to one's own wellness. When 'giving' to others is an overflowing experience, the giver stays full even after having given to support others.
I remember the practice of a counsellor. Every time he is called to listen to others, he takes about three minutes of silence to prepare himself. After welcoming the visitor he would suggest that they have a three minutes of silence. It is during that time the counsellor arrives to be present to the person waiting to talk! The closure of the conversation is also with three minutes of silence, during which time the counsellor arrives back to be present with himself. This cycle of movements and arrivals to be with oneself made a lot of sense to me. Although it is not yet a practice for me, I have a sense of awareness of the value of such pauses to make listening deep and discerning!
The Hibiscus flower is giving out of its fullness!
That message comes afresh to me is about being attentive to remain well within and not impoverished!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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