Lessons from Nature: Life Giver

 

The season of new life has begun; we see freshness all around us. The earth seems to be covered with a green carpet, the huge trees that were like skeletons during the autumn appears to have dressed in various shades of green. The rivers gush down noisily broadening exiting routs and at the same time discovering new ones. Fish in the deep seas seem to be thriving, as fishermen are prohibited from fishing. As evening comes frogs begin their choir practices. The peacocks are at their best showing off their dance moves. Chickens and other flightless birds dig into the soft soil for some fresh juicy treat. The purpose of sighting so many examples is just to say that this is a season enjoyed by most living things.

There are a few exceptions that do not like rainy season, may be because they feel sick, due to the dampness of the place. Some house wives may complain about clothes not drying, a hardworking husband may get annoyed because he gets wet despite of wearing the raincoat, or a grumpy old grandpa and grandma may get irritated since they are not able to go out for the regular patrolling of their ancestral property. But, like it or not, rain brings new life, it brings joy, happiness and smiles to many. Rain has many lessons to teach us, it’s just that we need to be observant and have an open mind.

One morning as I was wandering around I could feel the cool rainy breeze. It was a refreshing feeling because it was green all around me, the wetness of the soil and the tiny rain drops on the grass, made the place look like sprinkled with pearls. If we have our eyes open, we will be able to see so many new plants and tiny creatures being born. There are various little plants which seem to sprout from nowhere. There are snails and bugs which were not at all around before the rain. As I continued observing the beauty around me I was startled. This gave me a renewed hope to live life. As I began reflecting it dawned upon me that rain is so selfless. It pours down generously, and thus brings forth life. I was also reminded of times when I had been generous and realized that there is more happiness in giving, and looking at the happiness on the face of others.

We can either learn from the rain to be generous or curse it saying that it’s a gloomy day. This purely depends on our mentality. The choice is ours we can bury ourselves under the blanket and say it’s a useless day or go out dance in the rain, enjoy the freshness it offers. Let’s be like the rain that brings new life and freshness. If giving a biscuit to a roadside dog, or watering a plant gives us happiness imagine how much happier we will be by helping the suffering humanity in our own little way.

Moral: There is lot of happiness in giving and it doubles up when you know that you are the reason for someone else’s happiness.

 

Lessons from Nature: Exposure

 

            Nature never fails to impress us. When I say nature I don’t only refer only to hills and valleys, rivers and seas but also the simple plants and animals growing abound us. I love creative gardening and planting, crotons are my all-time favorite and I have many reasons for this.  Croton is an evergreen plant, it doesn’t need much maintenance and has glossy leaves that come in varied attractive shapes, sizes and colour. The plant is hardy and can withstand difficult weather conditions. It can be easily propagated from stem cutting. The plant also serves as a strong fencing plant protecting delicate plants from direct wind and small pets. Crotons do not have flowers like other plants but will surely catch your attention because of their brightly coloured leaves. The leaf of a croton may occur solid but may also have combination of green, yellow, red, orange, pink, purple or brown.

            So the question here is, What can we learn from this plant? Ever since I have known about plants I have seen crotons growing in my vicinity. Recently while I was watching the crotons growing in the garden I saw a notable variance between a few crotons grown from the stems of the same mother plant. I got curious, I wanted to know why are some plants brighter and more attractive than the others. There were crotons which had bright, fresh, glossy yellowish leaves with reddish-orange veins. While there were others a little further which looked fresh and healthy but were green and pale yellow. After a little study and inquiring I realized that the secret of the brightly colured leaves was the exposure to the sun.

            In our lives too we get many opportunities to shine brightly, but only when we expose ourselves to new prospects and chances will we shine brightly. The more we burn in the heat and light of the day, the brighter and more vibrant will we become. We may survive and have a healthy life but we will not be able to make a difference or shine brightly if we don’t make the best out of the opportunities that come our way.

Moral: Expose yourself to new things and that will change your life and make it vibrant, bright and joyful.

Lessons from Nature: Loving

         A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself.” –Josh Billings. As we know, dogs are the most popular pets in the world. I too am a dog lover though I love pets in general. One evening I was truly delighted when my dad brought a little puppy on his way home from office. It was a skinny little brown dog. We generally expect puppies to be furry and rounded, but this brown dog was different; it had a huge head, big ears, graceful neck, an athletic body and really really long legs. It didn’t fit the description of a cute little puppy that we typically have. Surprisingly I liked the dog instantly as it wagged its tail as soon as I looked in its eyes. This male pup was sleek and elegant and I named it Scooby, after the famous cartoon I would watch when I was younger. The other coincident was that it was a Great Dane like the cartoon character.

       I didn’t get much time with Scooby as I would not stay at home most of the time, because of my studies. When he was little I must have spent around 15 days playing and training him. My dad trained him well and he got lot of attention from my mom and sis too. I would always inquire about Scooby over the phone. Every year when I go home for holidays the happiness that Scooby displays makes me forget all my worries.

As the name of the breed suggests Scooby is really a ‘Great’ dog, he has grown huge, his loud resounding bark scares everyone, but his playful way of going out makes me wonder….. he is a gentle giant. We humans generally grow unfriendly and indifferent as we grow up. As I look at Scooby it forces me to be more kind and warm, more loving and affectionate. He is huge but he coexists with our manipulative cats, the noisy chickens and busy humans. He continues to show them love and also doesn’t mind sharing his food with them. If a dog can be so loving why don’t we humans try to do the same. He gets his share of punishment when he misbehaves but that doesn’t stop him from coming back and expressing his love to us by wagging his tail, licking our hands and face or by jumping around us.

Moral:  A life lived in love will never be dull for too long.   

Lessons from Nature: Unbiased

As I left my house one afternoon, I could feel the suns wrath. It was hot and sunny. I was on my way to a general store to buy some curd. I saw a poor man trying to escape the heat by covering his head with a blanket, which probably is his only priced possession. I walked a little further and noticed wealthy looking women trying to drape her child with her dupatta, I suppose she was accidently locked out of her Mercedes Benz by her husband as he went to order some deliciously tempting Domino’s Pizza. Shaking off all the thoughts that were running through my head I tried to save myself from the not so merciful heat of the sun by walking along a huge compound wall which offered some shade to those walking by. 

As soon as I reached the shop I first helped myself with a cold glass of lassi. As the thick liquid ran down my throat I realized that the sun was treating everyone equally. Funny right? I know, but that’s what came to my mind. It shines on everyone irrespective of their colour, cast, creed, sex, financial status etc. This is not anything new that I have discovered, it’s been happening from the very beginning of time. The important point is that we need to realize this and try to pick up a lesson for our self, because nature is the best teacher.

It may sound very silly or comical when I say that the sun is unbiased, but that’s what it appears to be. The sun shines on everyone depending on how much we expose ourselves to it. So on its part, sun is being impartial. Similarly, our duty is to be impartial if the other doesn’t reciprocate, it’s their problem. The point I’m trying to make is that we need to take a clue from here and try to be impartial, at least to our neighbours. 

Let us not discriminate based on someone’s religion or whether they are rich or poor, dark or fair, friend or enemy, man or woman, young or old. If we have an unbiased mindset towards those around us, we will not just make a difference in the society but it will make us happy too. This will have a ripple effect and we can spread this far and wide. It’s just a matter of changing our thinking. If we develop sensitivity towards others we do not need reservation policies to be implemented in government or private sector. We will be automatically drawn to help the less fortunate. We will be able to let them rise and shine. This world will surely be a better place. We don’t need to do anything extraordinary, let’s just be sensitive and unbiased towards other. 

Moral: Let’s be unbiased, everyone deserves equal opportunity. We may be fortunate today but tomorrow we may be among those who aren’t favoured. 

Man beyond Boundaries: Fr. Conceicao

Fr. Conceicao is not only recognized because he is a priest but also because of his immense deeds of charity and his zeal and courage as the proclaimer of the Kingdom of God. At the very outset I would like to make a few things clear. Do not judge a book by its cover. Many people said many negative things about Fr. Conceicao. Jesus said; (Jn 8:7b) “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.” We like to tarnish the image of others actually this in a way helps us to hide our own wrongdoings. We act righteous by condemning others. Whatever I am going to share below is purely my first hand personal experience of this wonder healer and mighty proclaimer. 

Frist impression

One fine evening while I was watering the plants in my front garden I saw a man short in stature but quite solid, he was wearing his jogging shorts and shoes while marching with his hands swinging in the air. He bellowed in a husky voice; Good evening, I’m Fr. Conceicao. I found myself dump, only reaction I could manage was a slight smile and a half waved hand. When he was out of sight my mom yelled at me, “Why didn’t you wish father should have taken his blessing”. I retorted; he suddenly came, I had not expected him to appear like a commoner, I had expected a priest in his white cassock. From that day onwards I knew he was special.  

Serving at the Altar 

We little lads always wanted to serve for mass and the intensity grew when Fr. Conceicao was appointed as the Parish Priest of our church, St. John the Baptist. When he was appointed to our church it was almost time for us to pack up, many of us were already in High School, but we flocked like little kids to serve, that was because we liked to be around him. We would try to catch our breath as we would get into the servers clothes, but father always waited for us, helped us calm down and would whisper words of advice before we would enter the sanctuary. He insisted that we would come to church with combed hair, ironed clothes and smiles on our face. He also encouraged us to become priests irrespective of congregation, he would say; “now you’ll are next to me, in few years’ time I want some of you to take my place.” 

Love for sport

Some may say it sounds like a cliché but I would still not take back my words. During vacations we would get ready with cricket bats, balls, soft drink Crates (acted as wickets), football and lift-able rocks for goal posts. Fr. Conceicao was our biggest benefactor, he never said no when we asked him for something. I clearly remember, one evening while we were wasting time near the church he shouted out aloud; “Ooohhhh Pires! Kitem korta re? Aiz hednai?” I ran to him and told him that we have lost the last cricket ball we had. He told me to go to his office and check in the drawer for the ball. I was discouraged after 5 mins of furious digging; I went to him with a pickled face and told him that I hadn’t found the ball. He gave me money to buy a new ball from the nearby shop. He would also organize football tournaments for us altar servers. He would come on the ground and motivate us to play better. 

Last meeting 

The last time I met him in person was when two years ago when I went to visit him in Raia, he welcomed me warmly. Sprinkled holy water and blessed me. Spoke for a while,  And then I gathered some courage and asked him: “Fr. there are people who are spoiling your name don’t you feel bad?” His reply amazed me, he said: “The tree that bears much fruit is always stoned,” he further added that “even Jesus was criticized for his brave ways of going about, he didn’t waste time in replying to every criticism, he went on doing good”. I came back home with increased respect for Fr. Conceicao. Last month I had published an article ‘Ami Goykar’ on O Heraldo a Goan daily, after reading it, he felt proud and told my parents that he was really happy for me he also expressed his desire of meeting me. Adeus Fr. Conceicao, you will be missed. If I’m worth, I wish I meet you enjoying with the heavenly Father.  

Lessons from Nature: Preparation

One of my favorite pass time is roaming around in the garden looking for something spectacular like, brightly coloured bees, freakish leaf shapes, a bizarre looking new shoot, some crawling beings, rugged trees with unique bark patterns and anything that surprises me. I was often disgusted when I saw a poinsettia plant; it looked so ordinary and wild. I was sickened at the point of cutting it off and planting something more attractive. 

Well, today was different and pleasantly shocking. The plant which I hated the most has become the apple of my eye. It was bright and Christmassy red and green. All this while I thought that the plant was fake or rather wild, useless and ugly, but what I witnessed today made me question my own life. I often want immediate success, but do I work and prepare enough? I want praise and glory, is my work worth it? Sometimes we invest just 10% into something and expect 100%. Are our expectations reasonable? 

I didn’t know much about this plant, I Googled and I got what I was looking for. These plants flower in mid-winter and last for quite some time. Like me many owners or gardeners of these plants are unhappy because, one has to practically wait for a year to see the flowers. The poinsettia is also known a short-day plant. This is because it needs total darkness for about 14 hours every day, for weeks to form flower buds. After the flowering is over the plant remains dormant during the spring. It need not be watered much and has to be in a dry, cool place. 

In this fast changing world of ours we want everything instantly, instant coffee, two minutes noodles, fast food, ready to eat parathas, etc.  This poinsettia has thought me that for something great and lasting the preparation too must be equivalent to the result expected. The flowers were so good that I don’t mind waiting for another year to just witness this divine beauty again. We need to prepare in order to make a lasting impact. 

Moral: the more you prepare, better the outcome. 

Lessons from Nature: Shedding of the Unwanted

As I was booting up to go to play football outdoors, it suddenly got windy. There were leaves all around the place. Wherever the windows were open the place was showered with dry leaves. When I went out to my amazement the blue and red basketball court had turned yellow with a thick layer of dry leaves, It was a complete mess with no clear place to step upon. The football ground like a chameleon was changing its colour from lush green to caramel yellow. There were just leaves and more leaves all around the place, there were mini dust storms. I took shelter in the watchman’s cabin. As I set there the bare trees caught my attention. I began asking myself. Why do trees shed their leaves? The only sensible thing that came to my mind is, may be because the leaves were old and it had to get new leaves. I started looking in all directions and I realized that there were many other trees shedding their leaves too. I was amazed. I decided to do a little research. 

I picked up my mobile phone which was charging, it was charging for over an hour, if it had the freedom and ability it would have shown 200% charged. I felt a little guilty for over charging it, but immediately got back to what I had come to do. I asked Google guru – Why do trees shed leaves? The Genius Google reframed my question to, Why do trees shed their leaves in winter? I know its smarter than me but in should do its job without insulting people. Google answered - During winter, there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis. The trees live off the food they had stored during the summer. The main reason for leaf drop on most trees is that, come ? winter, it gets pretty cold and dry in our part of the world. Rather than expend energy to protect these fragile organs, trees shed leaves to conserve resources. I was very happy upon reading the answer but I wanted to wonder why Google had specified winter. So to take my revenge I asked Google – Why do trees shed their leaves in summer? The leaf drop is an adaptation that allows the trees to shed leaves in summer to reduce the potential for even greater water loss. The fewer leaves, the less water needed to keep them happy and the less water escaping from the soft leaf tissue. I humbly accepted that Google was way smarter than I thought it to be. Something else dawned upon me, there is a very important lesson in this. We all know that leaves are very important to any plant or a tree irrespective of the size. They prepare the food that the tree needs, yet for survival sake the trees let go of their leaves. In our life too we have many attachments, this may not even be bad but for us in order to survive and grow we need to make these significant sacrifices. Nature teaches in ways we do not expect lets be attentive and plucked out all are bad as well as good habits which may hinder our survival.  

Moral: Let’s shed all that blocks our growth and development.