During a Flight !

Watch a bird during its flight. It changes its body position, direction and flight path. It adjusts to wind,  air currents and presence of other birds in the air.

Yesterday I had a conversation with a colleague. In seven years we have had seventeen professionals leaving after working for less than two years following their marriage. And yet the department kept moving forward in developing its service!

But is it a time to ponder on a change to the course and direction of the department! There are only two professionals who have been working for seven years. Is that good enough to make the department stable!

I am left with multiple questions in my mind!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

Co-existence !

It is after a long time I noticed a rose flower in our garden which escaped the attack from  spittle bugs.

With no respite from them, we sprayed neem oil on the rose plants which would not kill spittle bugs but scare them away by the odour of neem oil. 

But they are still around!

We kept postponing using pesticides, but our patience is running out!

This is the moral biology of gardening! To kill the pests or chase them away!

The earlier approach is to have plants by virtue of their medicinal value would guard vegetables and fruits from attacks from predators and pests.

I know that Tulsi plants would  to some extent keep the snakes and rodents away.

We have cats who visit the house premises, which gives us some protection from rodents. 

Many farmers protect fruits from birds and squirrels by covering them in net!

The nature would be poorer without insects! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Between morning and evening !

A semi-ripe papaya fruit was seen nibbled by birds or squirrels  in the morning. By the evening the fruit had disappeared. 

With no respite from rain during the last five days, birds nd squirrels in our garden were desperate for food. 

All those of us who live in comfortable houses, go to work in our cars, and return to a safe environment do not often sense the hardships that rain brings to many others. A mason who was working in our property could not work for five days and he felt the strain of being unemployed and came to borrow some money yesterday.  A shop keeper who sells snacks and other essentials for workmen, told me that the sale dropped to a very low level as workmen have no jobs and do not come for buying their provisions. A taxi driver said that he did not have any passenger for the last five days. 

This is a festive season in the state of Kerala and a shop keeper selling clothes mentioned to me that there is no hope of resurgence of sale. His stock of clothes has accumulated and he is feeling stressed.  

The stress of living was not so demanding in the recent past for two reasons. Many have less money to spend and workers have no jobs due to less construction activity. The second is the recent spell of incessant rain.

Birds of the air would find their food and shelter whether it rains or not. But workmen do not have access to their daily provisions. 

I heard a senior citizen mention to me that he grew up in the village, where he witnessed, 'communal' living. The neighbours looked after each other. Food and provisions were shared between neighbours. No one lacked food to eat when there was some stress. I am not sure whether such a state of mutual support would return in our village. Anna and I hear news of illnesses, difficult situations or special needs in our neighbourhood much later. By the time the worst is over.

The insular living is a consequence of modernity and upward mobility of the middle class. We live oblivious of what concerns our neighbours. 

At work during this week, I felt this intensely. People carry pain and distress and suffer from accumulated burdens. 

A medical student told me yesterday that she experienced an unusual camaraderie in her class when some of her friends were hospitalised during the last week. Many who hitherto looked distant and less friendly offered to stay in the hospital to look after those who were hospitalised. For her, this experience was a revival of bonding in the class, which restored her hope of friendships that would go beyond just familiarity! Friendships call for involvement!

Yesterday, being the teacher's day, Anna and I received some friendly calls and messages from friends from different places in India. That brought immense cheer to us. 

Friendliness includes caring and sharing!

This comes back as a message for a response!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

A still Bird!

I got up anxious and agitated on last Friday! 

After waiting for ten hours from 4pm the previous day at the air port, to catch a return flight home, the announcement came at midnight that the flight was cancelled due to water entering the runway at the Kochi air port.

As the fall had caused disruption of rail and road traffic, I felt stranded!

While having breakfast, when I looked outside, I watched this Mina, perched on this post in stillness all through the time I took time for the breakfast.  

The composure and the body language even in a drizzle was immensely comforting to me. 

It kept looking into the horizon and did not seem to be concerned by the clouds gathering and the threat of an imminent rain. Except that it did not give away any bird call, everything about the bird was unusually normal.

I felt stranded with no definite ideas to find a way to reach home, although the bird did not seem to be perturbed by the cloudy weather. 

Later when Dr Gift helped me to get a taxi to go home, I felt provided for!

The Mina was a messenger of encouragement and assurance ! It was perched on a store pole!

Those of us who recover our faith through prayer are also susceptible to the stress of the unexpected. And yet, we too are anchored and provided for!

When I reached home near midnight that day, I was glad to have had watched the Mina, to travel with ease and reduced anxiety!

The surprise provisions are angelic visitations in our lives!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

A squirrel and Chameleon

As I watched this squirrel pass by, while the chameleon was partly blocking its way, I got to know something more of the way of life in nature- live and let live !

To offer space for others is a noble ting to practice in life.

To offer consideration and mindfulness to others is the way of creating space for others!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Human behaviour!

Except the rose buds and leaves, the other flowers or fruits do not have the same pattern of retaining water droplets on the surface of leaves or fruits after a downpour. This amazed one once again this morning.

I listened to a debate on ND TV today on how different political leaders speak about their opponents in adverse circumstances. There is a five hundred percent increase in hate speech in the last five years most of which come from high the ranking political leaders, serving in the government. 

It raises questions about how we regard others. 

Just as there is something in the leaf and bud structure of the rose plant because of which they retain water on their surface, so it is with those of us who carry a reactive behaviour response towards others even with least provocation. 

It is when I feel pressured with multiple disturbing events, I become reactive. When such instances occur, it calls for internal exercise of composure. Because I have been helped by my mentors, I have chosen an option of keeping silent, when provoked and protect the inner composure. Although I fail often, when the inner composure was possible, such occasions saved me from the anguish of an outburst. 

It is from within we react. Our reaction is our responsibility. We can let other's words escape our attention when it is spoken in malice or to intimidate rather than react. 

What makes our lives resonate with meaning and hope is our anchor in a way of life which we chose! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Something not so common !

I found something unusual while on a bird sighting walk. 

A pair of Magpie Robins with a streak of white on their head! 

A honey sucker with a longer beak than I have noticed in other honeysuckers. 

I have a calendar of 2019 published by a prestigious organisation with the page on July missing. 

It is important to take note of unusual sights or experiences, because it has something to tell us beyond the apparent. 

A bird watcher told me that some birds have unusual streaks on the body because they might have an albinic trait. As the calendars, when mass produced, is put together automatically and an omission of one sheet occurs occasionally!

The occasional occurrences,  although are not the norms,  tell us of many things that happen which can go unnoticed. 

The occurrence  of NIPPO virus infection twice in the last six months in two different parts of Kerala, would have gone unnoticed except for the alert physicians, who noticed something atypical about the fever and the prodromal symptoms. Their suspicion and an early diagnostic testing for the virus helped to contain the spread of the disease. 

This calls for taking note when something different from the ordinary happens, rather than leave it to be a chance occurrence. 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Outside the compound wall!

This coconut tree is outside the compound wall of a house accessible to the road travellers. This is  special variety of coconut tree which yields its fruits in three years and stays short in height. The owner of the property mentioned to me that he does not remember losing any coconut although hundreds pass by the house every day!

I remember how the news paper agents came with a plan to have news papers placed in public places with a box next to it for people to pick up a newspaper and drop the cost of the news paper in the box. I was a school going boy at that time. In a few months time, the news paper agents abandoned the idea as most papers were not paid for! 

To me this coconut tree is a lesson in trusting others. It is  a risky step. However,  that is the only way to move on in life! Even when we suffer a set back by trusting others, it is a challenge to practice trusting to create a culture of trusting others! While cheating others for personal gain is becoming common, this coconut tree that Anna and I see every day on our way to work is a lesson and challenge in trusting others! It is when others know that they are trusted, they desire to be trustworthy!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

Similar and dissimilar !

The two photos are of the same shrub with Rhembutan fruits on the same day.

The first photo shows similarly ripening fruits. The second one shows the dissimilarly ripening fruits. This difference in the same bunches of fruits caught my attention. 

I hear this comment from parents who visite to consult for the developmental needs of their children that their children behave differently. The rule in nature is that there are similarities and dissimilarities.

I do not think that any explanation can fully be sufficient to describe this phenomenon.

I remember a mother telling me with tears, that it was difficult for her to accept the second child as he was a boy against her longing for having a girl. Even after seven years, she still struggles with this dilemma. Just there are genetically predetermined factors which affect the behaviour system of children there can be environmental factors which accentuate the differences between children.

The study of epigenetics is now finding wider acceptance which is a pointer to the reality of the role of the environment on human behaviour. This mother told me how it was difficult for her to feed her son, console him or carry him because of the overwhelming negative reaction she had towards another boy in the family! Children receive the verbal and non-verbal vibes and grow up in response to them.  

I remind myself that the fruit inside is the same in substance and flavour, although the ripening of the fruit takes place at different times. 

The inner self is lovable and responds to love! I struggle with this a lot. When responses are not forthcoming from those with whom I relate according to my expectations, I seem to withdraw! To receive others just as they are is a calling and a long journey worth pursuing to 'become fully human'!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)

Waterbirds in dry land!

I traced these two waterbirds for a while one afternoon last week. They stayed around this area for most of the afternoon as I noticed them even in the evening around the same area. The stream flowing not so far form this is almost dry and do not seem to have the usual equal life for them to feed on. The waterbirds do have a difficult season during summer. So most of them migrate. The ones left behind are the ones excluded from their own species. So they suffer separation nd deprivation!

There are life lessons for all of us from bird life. It is usually not common for birds to abandon their older or less able ones while they fly away looking for better habitat. However it happens. 

Ann and I have had opportunities to work in five institutions during our life time of service. One of our special interests was to find people who live 'solo' lives. in every community there are some like that who get excluded or do not feel included. They are people who are different in temperament, choices thy make or habits they keep. The very fact that they live in the 'edge' or the margins does indicate that they might have landed in that setting having failed to integrate to the majoritarian view of life or common practices. 

It is among those who live and work in the margins, we can find something exceptional because of which they either choose or feel forced to remain less connected with others. 

I heard a comment from a senior colleague yesterday that his 'opinions' are the reasons because of which he felt excluded in the place he works. 

The Francis of Assisi was an exception. Mother Teresa was an exception. Dr I da Scudder was an exception. Bishop Desmond Tutu is an exception. The founder of the college where Anna and I work now was exception. Dr K.C.Mammen who resigned from CMC Vellore to become the founding medical director of MOSC Medical Mission hospital, Kolenchery fifty years ago was an exception. I had a telephone call from him the other day, to enquire how the college is impacting the lives of students and faculty. He is in his eighties and it was evident from what he told me that he had to overcome his own inhibitions and what others imposed on him to come to a sleepy village to start a mission hospital fifty years ago. 

Those of us who have had to leave the 'mainstream' to live lives 'differently' from what others desired of us can comfort ourselves that there is space history for exceptions as well. 

The lonely times in our lives or walking alone along a narrow path are occasions to live harmoniously with others who still exercise their thoughts to exclude or marginalise! 

The inner resilience and the calling to live the way consanat with our calling ought to reflect a behaviour of temperance, tolerance and acceptance of all around us ! It is necessary to 'return' graceful greetings when the opposite is what one receives. 

Make the experience of being in the margins to let others see the calling as a vocation!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo) 

A bamboo hut !

While visiting a nature park recently, I found this bamboo hut in the corner of the park. Although many families with their children walked past this corner, I did not find anyone wanting to climb and explore the panorama from this height! It mad eye wonder as to why this did not include in the active exploration of the visitors. I overheard parents telling their child, who was keen to climb, 'it is steep and you might fall down'! I felt rather surprised by it. Although I had just climbed and descended this  hut, that strange thought did not cross my mind! 

While in another part of the park, where there were climbing frame, sea-saw, swing, etc. there were man  families with their children taking time to explore those play equipment. The children played on their own while parents sat watching them!

This made me curious. On conversing with a few families about this contrasting behaviour, I found that the height frightened some families and risk of falling was in the mind of some others. 

What is childhood, unless we encourage them to overcome fears, most of which are imaginations anyway. I wonder we instil fear in the minds of children! One comment I often hear when parents come to consult me, while their children reach out to play with the peg board, etc in the room, 'sit quiet, otherwise the doctor would get angry'! Having heard this so many times, I wanted to get to the root of this belief system parents carry with them. Why should a child sit quiet, when the whole room is a place to explore! 

I have a suspicion that, parents are not conditioned to answer the several questions that children raise that it is easier for them if their children are relatively quiet. It is for the same reason, many parents still do not consider getting as many toys a possible for children to occupy or explore. If they do not have toys, won't they gravitate towards mobile phones, Television, I-pad, etc!  Even parents might be comfortable with this as children will be fully engrossed with the cartoon without any conversations!

I grew up in an environment, where conversations and engagements were encouraged in active form between children and others. I come across children who have stagnation of language skills around 2 years because they have spent considerable time in 'silence' watching cartoons!

Childhood is a time meant active exploration and interactive communication action! Let us foster this!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

Dafney and Dulce !

Dafney and Dulce have a play time together inside our cottage in the morning. At the end of that time  Anna offers a a treat to both of them. It is usually milk in two separate bowls of their liking. 

Today I offered them in their bowls a bone with some meat on them. The first picture is the posture of Dafney for a while after placing the bone outside the bowl. 

Dulce and picked up her bone and wandered away and reappeared in the scene which is the second picture. Seeing this, Dafney got up, picked up the bone and moved away. 

They are three years apart in age. 

Dafney from her very young days would often wait looking at the bowl of food for a while before she would consume it. Sometimes she would keep a potion of it till the evening meal arrives. 

Dulce on other hand,  if it is milk, meat or a biscuit would consume it instantly. 

Fortunately they do not quarrel over food when they are served together.  

I watch them to get a sense of the way they live in a friendly way. Al through the time inside the cottage, they chase each other, hide and seek and play with socks by flinging in the air. They have their toys, but what they find in the waste baskets or in the laundry bag would be objects of their interest during the play time. 

Both of them make me feel that they are light hearted and seek each other for the pleasure of playing.,which is their way of communication!

I carry home this message- seek each other for pleasure of conversation and communicating !

M.C.Mathew (text and photo) 

Photoblog:  childdevelopmentashirvad.blogspot.com