Some flowers in our garden have a subdued look, but their fragrance and colourfulness suffer no loss in the summer heat. The plants do suffer in the hot sun, but they are rooted in the soil rich with moisture and manure!
Anna and I dropped in to get a take away from an eatery yesterday, normally popular and full of people. It had a deserted look and they had a reduced menu. They could not serve even what was mentioned in the display board as they did not have a cook who could prepare that item.
Anna needed an egg beater, as one she was using for twenty years is almost out of order. We went to six shops. None had it in their stock as the supply has been limited for the last three months due to locked down.
We dropped in to a plant nursery get some plants for our garden. They had a reduced variety unlike the usual.
We went to a grocery shop. The shelves had only a few items.
All these experiences on one evening made us aware of the stressful effect of the COVID 19, locked down, return of migrant workers to their home states, small and middle level business in misery and people in a sense of loss over what awaits them.
My colleagues, Susan and Shalini were active yesterday to plan to get in touch with families who have not had an opportunity to visit us in the last two months. Susan and Tinu were calling about ten families each day for the last few weeks, to enquire about their wellness and help them with some support or suggestions. Now some plans are in place to give telephone consultation to all, Video-based to those who have access to it at their homes and set up and a video-based on line therapy programme for children who would need it. Usually the summer months are times when we reach out to more parents and plan for the developmental strategy for children. Although I too have been in touch with about five or so parents on phone or attend to the need of more families needs through the office, families and children feel bereft!
It is time when more is needed to bring comfort, hope, and cheer to families. It is a time when we need to generate more resources to sustain ourselves and offer more help to others.
It is not a time to give up or step back. It is a time to go beyond our personal conveniences and gains and be fully involved in undergirding others with whatever is possible.
Even our feeble or small or fragmented efforts can be a resource to bring wellness to others. During the Great Depression, in 1930's, some churches encouraged families to set apart a handful of rice each time they cooked rice. In one church, I was told recently, it gathered enough each week to support about hundred families in their neighbourhood. Small acts of kindness have a multiplying effect.
I suspect, we too are at the brink of another devastating impact of economic recession, profound grief over loss of human lives, emotional and physical exhaustion of health care workers, civil discord on account of hunger and starvation, crises in families over stressful livelihood, etc. It is a hugely demanding situation of this century!
Each institution has to have a transition planning. Institutions exist for people in the neighbourhood. When we had three meetings in our department, where only half of our colleagues could be present due to locked down, we got a sense of the urgency and intensity of the situation.
St Paul spoke about being a 'sweet aroma' and a 'fragrance' (2 cor 2:14-15) unto God. Our good deeds and acts of kindness would work towards that in this difficult time!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
