Lessons from Nature: Essence

'You are the Salt of the Earth', Jesus says this in the gospel according to Mathew 5:13 (Bible). This statement set me thinking. My imagination!!! (God save me). I imagined myself as a big grain of rock salt, jumping around. I had limbs, pair of eyes, a mouth and no nose. I imagined myself to be that grain of salt and entered into an animated world. If you imagined me in the kitchen with all the other stuff with hands, legs, eyes and mouth then you are on the right path. I suddenly realized that I was scoped with an oversized spoon by a fat lady. The lady from ‘Tom and Jerry’; wears an apron, patched socks, and bedtime slip-on sleepers. Her face is still a mystery to me too. She feared tiny moving objects so she jumped around and accidentally smashed me. Ouch!!!!! (If you don’t know this lady.. just Google – fat lady from Tom and Jerry)

The exciting imaginative adventure with a tragic ending brought me to reality. I began thinking about how salt is made the traditional way. The traditional saltpans flashed before me. Salty water from a river is being diverted to an open field. The whole process of evaporation. And finally, white substance that you see where the river water was once collected. It’s a gradual and tough process. For us human beings to really become 'human', we have to go through this process of evaporation or purification. A process that helps us get in touch with our true essence. Our true essence is to be good, to love and to be loved. We are relational beings we can’t live in isolation, so interaction is very important for us. The degree and kind of interaction may vary but it is needed.

Coming back to what we like the most – food. When the salt in any dish is too much and noticeable it ruins the dish. But if it's in proper quantity no one even realizes that there is salt. We should not forget that salt makes a difference wherever it is present. We must be like salt trying to make a difference in the lives of others without being noticed. The moment we are noticed people will start cursing us, the way you complain to one who cooks for you about extra salt in the food. Or like an ill-mannered wo\man in a restaurant, pushing the plate away and shouting at the waiter.

Moral: Let’s personify salt and imitate it. Make a difference with your presence and your absence felt. 

Love that Inspires

 

That's the truth, You are my sunshine

You love me; despite I don't call you mine

Without you in my life, I doubt I'll be fine

Can't live without you, if I'm the bread you are the wine

 

Hold my hand tight, don't let me go

Sharing with you, I know I grow

You are the reason for my joy, you are my glow

You are my manna, not just refreshing snow

 

My heart vibrates at your very sight

You make even the darkest nights - bright

With you I feel exhilarated, and that feels right

To my wavered path, you are the light

 

These feelings are not just about today

I think of you in noise or silence, rest or play

You give meaning to my life and every single day

I Thirst! For the day when beside you I will lay

 

From deep within, yes I thirst! I thirst every day

For the sacrificial love, Wishing you a Happy Valentine's day

Lessons from Nature: Flexibility

    Reading the title itself must have made you curious. Yes! It’s about flexibility, literally and metaphorically. The next question that arises is, is flexibility here about the yoga asanas or a virtue? Yes, it is about the virtue, I believe like other virtues flexibility too helps us to live better lives and also improve the lives of those around us.

    It has taken me quite a few days to come to the conclusion that you’ll find as you continue reading. Most of my learning or reflections are sudden insights but this has come out of a lot of observation. There are mostly strong winds here at my week-long temporary abode. The mighty winds make even the strongest trees sway according to their tune. The tiny ones are really at the mercy of the wind and are turned and tossed as it commands them. I saw them, pitied them and called them weak. Ironically the next morning they stand tall once again. Later during the day, I saw a man clearing up the wild growth of weeds, but he ignores these tiny plants, firstly because they look beautiful and secondly because they are weak and tiny and anyone could walk past them or trample them easily.  While focusing his attention on the more rough and harsh plants, the man stamped over these tiny plants. When I revisited the place the same evening I saw these plants standing tall again and I was surprised.

    Lightning, thunder and heavy rain all night, the destruction was massive. Huge trees were uprooted and were kissing the ground in the morning when I saw them. The strong flow of water had washed down the soil from the hills and flooded the plains. Though I enjoyed the rain and the cool all night, I was unhappy with the destruction. I came out for a walk more out of curiosity than routine. I saw the tiny plants and the long blades of grass completely flat as the water had found its way over them to nearby ponds and rivers. Finally, everyone succumbed to the pressure of the rain and the wind. I went back as it was still cold and a little windy.

    The sun began shining brightly by 11 am, I came out once again and to my astonishment, these plants with the tiny yellow flowers were standing tall once again, not as beautiful as before but they were standing. These tiny beautiful yellow flowers are wild but they can beautify any garden or bouquet. They shine as the sun shines, sway as the wind blows, grow as the rain pours, and withstand practically anything because they are flexible.

    We need to be flexible to the changes around us. We often make our lives miserable because we always want things to happen and for people to behave the way we want. We sometimes need to bend and bow so that we can stand again. We often are crushed and destroyed because we are not humble enough to accept other person’s points of view and in the bargain, we are sometimes so miserable that we are unable to rise again. Oh gosh! These cows are marching towards me….. they just trampled over these plants. They aren’t broken they are standing once again. These plants are amazing.

    Moral: Let us be flexible so that we can, not just survive but also thrive.

Lessons from Nature: Living together

 

I’m sure we have all seen fish in the aquarium. They are so beautiful; shiny, unique, colourful, fancy and attractive. This aquarium which has inspired me is in a house that is already surrounded by natural beauty; rugged trees, smokey hills, swaying plants, strongly blowing winds, creeping insects, wiggling worms, hoping frogs and crickets and chirpy birds. I had to describe the surroundings because the aquarium gets less attention, unlike the city aquariums since here the ambience is different.

There is something special about this aquarium, it houses a variety of fish – a black aquarium Shark, Kois, Glowing tetras, Black-skirt tetras, Swordtails, Shubunkins, common Goldfish, Fan-tailed Goldfish and even an Angelfish. I observed the aquarium continually because I was surprised by the variety in a single aquarium.

I sat near the aquarium like a great thinker. I felt good about myself and wanted to observe something poles apart that no one has observed and share it with my friends. I was already feeling like the great Isaac Newton and thought that the fourth law of motion will be formulated by me. It was already 15 minutes, nothing unusual yet. I was as bored as the aimlessly wandering lone black Shark in the tank. I felt as useless as the solitary Angelfish. I too wanted to spit bubbles like the Goldfish and clean the pebbles like the Kois.  I would at least be doing something rather than whiling away time. The sudden sprint of the swordtail across the tank disturbed my trend of melancholic thoughts. I realized that the fish though so different were living together. They had no choice but to choose their companions. Similarly, we too are just placed in firms, communities, society, industry, teams, groups, etc. Do we just coexist or do we live well?

These fish are very different with different temperaments, but they are living together. I’m sure they haven’t fought because every fin and tail of every single fish was beautiful and unharmed. Can we take a clue from these fish though unique, living together sharing and caring? The sight in the tank is mesmerizing; the tiny tetras giving way to the impatient Goldfish, the Koi cleaning the huge Shark, and the swordtails making way for the slow and graceful Angel. I’m sure they must have taken time to adjust, but the way they are living together now looks like they have done a course in group dynamics. We rational and social human beings have all the more reasons to live well. Not just tolerate each other but to help, support and adjust so that everyone is happy.

Moral: Even apples can coexist in a basket with mangoes and many other fruits. Let us live together caring for each other and adjusting to make others comfortable.

Lessons from Nature beyond the Background

Isn’t the water lily a grandiose flower? I’m sure many will agree with me as soon as their eyes witness the image that is below. This water lily is growing in a large artificially made pond. It is the highlight of the garden. Its beauty can attract attention from any corner of the compound. Every passerby makes brief stops so that the beauty of this plant refreshes the mind. I did the same and drew nearer. At a closer look, I noticed something. Oh yuck! There are dead guppies (tiny fish) turning white, an ugly greenish-brow frog, a lot of decomposing leaves, and dead insects floating as though there was a Tsunami and that’s not it; these beautiful flowers are growing in some stinky black muck. Sorry for all the unpleasant descriptions, but that’s the reality. More importantly, this description is needed because it created confusion in my mind but that quickly turned into inspiration.

“You become exactly what you surround yourself with, it is a human inevitability that you will be influenced by your surroundings, which is why it is important to choose who you surround yourself very carefully.” This is a direct quote from a research study. Psychology teaches us that we behave the way we behave because of our upbringing and surrounding (but at the same time psychology doesn’t deny human efforts that can make persons totally different despite of his or their surroundings). This water lily doesn’t fit the description, it’s not like the surrounding. You would argue saying that it’s a plant and the research study is about human beings. You are correct, but there is no harm in learning from these plants.

            This water lily is an inspiration and a motivation for those who curse their surrounding for their character or personality. The water lily instead of getting rotten and awful by the stinky surrounding uses it to its advantage. It uses the decomposing leaves and dead fish as manure and springs up rather than getting polluted by it. It doesn’t allow the ugly-looking frog to steal away the show; it outshines it with its beauty. The lush green leaves gloriously float on the dirty black water. The plant grows rapidly and covers up the pond leaving the muck in darkness. This water lily by its efforts to make a difference makes its surrounding more beautiful.

We do not need huge changes. A little inspiration and a lot of determination on our part can change our lives and we in turn can be an inspiration to others. There are so many people in this world who blame and curse their surroundings and upbringing. Some point fingers even at society for their flaws. We have watched movies that portray a robber's son becoming a robber and likewise but some others inspire the world by bringing a change. Research in personality science points to the possibility that personality traits can change through persistent intervention and major life events. We know of Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the best footballers to have graced the football field has come from a very poor background and had no one in his family who would play the sport. Hard work and determination have made him the best. Let us stop blaming our surroundings and make efforts to stay afloat and prosper.

Moral: Let not our surroundings determine our future, we have the potential to change our life.

 

Lessons from Nature: Protector

          It terrified me! Yes! I was frightened by a rooster that was not even one-fourth my size. It was a sudden unanticipated attack.

      There is always food left over, and kitchen waste in abundance but keeping a pig in a densely crowded educated metropolitan surrounding was not possible, thus we bought chickens. We have a pretty large campus with grounds, gardens, halls and a lot of free space. The chickens are kept in a huge fenced area. To add to the variety on our little farm we also have ducks and geese.

       It’s almost a month now that we have our pet chickens adding to the beauty of our campus with their vibrant presence and sometimes irritating clucking. Being very fond of animals I spend time with my pets, and I did nothing different with the pet chickens too. Every time I observe them I’m in awe to see them and learn from them. One afternoon as I went to feed our noisy poultry something unusual happened. I entered the fenced area with a bowl of rice as I generally do. This is the time I feel good, I feel connected to nature, and I feel like Noah from the Bible. When the fowls follow me, it reminds me of the pictures in the Bible storybooks depicting numerous animals following Noah to the ark. 

        As I moved around, I dropped the rice in three different places so that everyone gets enough and enjoys their treat without fighting. A few bold chickens even dare to eat directly from my hands. As I was feeding two of the chickens I decided to pat them. No sooner did I touch a hen than the rooster just charged towards me and almost pounced on me. I stood up and tried to scare him away. Now as I put words to this incident I laugh, but at that moment I almost suffered a minor cardiac arrest.

      This incident may seem very futile but it made me reflect. I was reminded of an incident that occurred a few months back. Two elderly women were fighting, and instead of separating them people were taking videos, and photos and enjoying the sight. They were causing harm to each other but nobody moved an inch, including me. Comparing these two incidents I felt ashamed of myself. The rooster who is so small in size and so defenseless, without worrying about itself came to protect the other chickens. This little incident points out the harsh reality of how some of us live cowardly life and do not bother about protecting or helping those in need. We are just so indifferent to things around us. We are not bothered until and unless someone does something to us directly.

Moral: Protect your own, and be courageous not for a reward but because you ought to.

Lessons from nature: Rising above the Pain

Wow! It is rainy season once again; freshness, calm and wetness all around me. The garden looked so refreshing with the lush green new foliage. Plants with fresh new shoots, huge trees with new leaves on their old rugged branches, the ground covered with little thriving weeds and all these just make the place more beautiful than it ever was. Among the tinny growing plants, there are weeds as well as some good seasonal blooming plants.  These seasonal blooming plants make their appearance as the rainy season begins and stand strong till winter hits; they just vanish along with the rain.

Walking a little further into the area where the 'veteran trees' rule I noticed new life around them too. There were tiny mango saplings with just two reddish-brown leaves on them, there was a little cluster of jackfruit saplings, (probably because the entire jackfruit ignored by the owners was sprouting) and Jamun saplings were sprouting all over the place. All this was a feast for the eyes, but there was nothing extraordinary about it, what caught my attention was the breadfruit tree.

The breadfruit is a tropical plant which tastes a little like potato and seems to be related to the jackfruit. Though it's a fruit it's mostly consumed as a vegetable when it's raw. The fine crispy fried slices with a little masala and egg make the mouth water. Yaa! This isn't a cooking session or a recipe that I want to tell you about. What amazed me is that new saplings were growing around the breadfruit tree too. Didn't surprise you right? It's probably because like me you too don't know how the tree multiplies or propagates. I was surprised because this was the first time I had seen saplings around the breadfruit tree. All confused and curious I walked to the only wise old lady in the 200m radius of the tree. I greeted her: Mai! (i.e. Mother- but word also used to call out to old ladies with respect in Konkani) and before she could respond I realized I had already blurted out my doubts and queries. She asked me to sit and asked me about my whereabouts.  Looking at the impatience on my face she dramatically but slowly exclaimed, Breadfruit! It's a very interesting tree. It grows from the roots, she said. I querulously retorted, how? Why just now and not all these past years? She patiently continued, the new growth is from the root, and not just any part of the root. The root must have been perhaps wounded or obstructed by something. Looking at my confused face and expectant eyes she continued, when we dig the area where the roots have spread they get cut or hurt and that's where you will see new growth. I was amazed by the knowledge of the old lady, but more so by the breadfruit tree.

The breadfruit tree has taught me a new lesson. When we are hurt or obstructed by someone, something or an episode in our life we curl up and withdraw ourselves. But this is not the case with the breadfruit tree, it rises above the pain and injury, and that's when there is new life and progress. I thanked the old lady with a big smile and returned to admire the breadfruit tree.

Moral: Rise above the Pain, that's when you will experience new life and joy. Lessons from nature: Rising above the Pain

Not just a Car... Caaaarrrrr!!!

 

            Yes! I’m a car. Oh boy you won’t believe me, I have enjoyed my life much more than you may have ever imagined. I won’t start blabbering about my birth because…. Honestly! I don’t know when I was born or who my parents are. Don’t feel sad for me I am not an orphan, and I have always been happy (probably it’s not 100% true).

            The purpose of writing this short note is to tell you how grateful I am for this precious gift of life. Ok! Let me put you in context by telling you about myself. I am average looking fancy (or may be not) 4 or may be 5 seater sedan. My headlights are so powerful that it can look into your soul. My windscreen wipers are so good that it can peel your skin off and windscreen; it can withstand a cannonball. My speed? I’m faster than a wild bunny with nitro boost. My seats are as comfortable as an easy chair, and if you could, you want to use them as beds. I like to keep the windows open because I like the air brushing through me even on the inside. My monstrous engine is what keeps me going.

            Many have enjoyed me and I have enjoyed their company too. All my owners loved me unconditionally. Shhhh! Here’s a little secret. I’m a very optimistic being, so I consider even the sad moments as a learning experience and I have no regrets. I know I have spoken a little too much about myself, or may be not little but lots of too much about myself. But wait! You need to know about my wheels, I have mag wheels, those who don’t know what mag wheels are, I’m not gonna tell you, just Google it. I’m drifting from the topic… ok my wheels are so good that they go on any terrain. But they hurt sometime so I rest them especially at night. Now my final confession about myself, I may not have the looks that will impress you on the first meeting, but I have the charm that can make you never let me go, never let me gooooooo…..(Yaa! I’m singing this part)

            I had many owners; everyone used me so well, maintained me and took good care of me. The first one was cruel, but I won’t consider her my owner because she rejected me ever before buying me. I had bad first experience, but I can’t blame her because she didn’t even know me well. I had a little make over and than, all were in love with me. I was passed on from person to person, not because I was disliked but because I was too good for them to handle. Am I saying I too many times? Probably yes! This is an autobiography u dumb a**.

            My owners kept on changing, so much so that I have lost the count. According to a rough scientific estimate I may have had 15 to 16 owners. Life has been wonderful and I have to confess that I have received most amount of love from my last owner. He changed my life and even changed himself a little for my sake. He loved me a lot and promised that he will never leave me, I was skeptical but I believed. I told him that I’m old and he could easily buy a new car, but he was not ready to listen. He tried to convince me that I’m the best… I wasn’t convinced though.

            One fine or may be dreadful day, the worst that I had expected happened. I was just dumped for the latest model of a little white shinny BMW. It came to me as a shock, but it happened, I didn’t want to believe but all the same it was the reality. I thought the new car was just rented or borrowed from a friend. I was wrong, I was dumped and the new car was at home. I don’t know the reason or how had I wronged him. He just left me in the middle of nowhere. I could not even cry freely, I never cry, but this had never happened to me before, I didn’t know how to handle the situation. I finally began questioning my worth and I was doing it when my self-esteem had reached below the temperature of Antarctica.

            Oh! He is back; I can see him at a distance. What happened to his new car? Why is he all gloomy? I want to run away, he is the same person who had ditched me, who had left me all alone without even a warning. I suddenly remembered a kid who a few days back had shown me a lot of kindness and compassion. This kid too had made similar promises like my last owner; this scared the hell out of me. I pleaded to leave me alone and pack me into a box where I wouldn’t be able to see the sun rise ever again. Yes! You heard me right .. put me in a box! For I’m just an old little toy car. My last owner is just an arm’s length away, looks like he wants to play with me again. No! No! No!  

Lessons from Nature: True-Blue

Yes! I am aware that the picture is very attractive. It is indeed a very beautiful bird, and I suppose that is what makes it the National bird of India. I happened to meet this guy or gal and I’m in love with it even though I am not certain of its gender. If you get an opportunity to meet this beauty, I’m sure you too will be in love with it. This champion is still young and as per google guru, the sex of the peafowl can be identified only after 9 months or when they are a year old. So even though I’m pretty convinced it’s a peahen, not to hurt the sentiments of those who are giving their teeth into proving that it’s a male I shall refer to it as a peafowl.

           

            I have been observing this peafowl whom we call Pico or Pica (based on what we consider its sex is), and it never ceases to amaze me. If you ask me about its behaviour, I’ll be very honest, it is as notorious as any other peafowl. It is literally the enemy of a beautiful Garden. It also gets annoying sometimes because it follows me everywhere even to my room. At times it comes so close to me that I’m afraid that it may peck me. Enough of the complains! A peafowl is naturally very beautiful and a majestic bird. But that’s not it, this guy has given me a lot of food for thought. This Peafowl is like a Labrador it will always be around the owner seeking for attention and it being around you is a treat for everyone’s eyes. It has been a very loyal bird so far. I have titled this small reflection as ‘True-blue’ because this bird is extremely loyal so much so that when you leave the house you must dodge it in such a way that it isn’t aware of where you have gone or you will find it following you. The peafowl also cries out at regular intervals to make its presence felt. If it’s not around you, its enough to whistle and it will cry out aloud and come in search of you. If a bird can be so faithful, we have all the more reasons to imbibe this quality in our lives too. We see many a time people ditch their own employers or those who do good to them, for a little extra money or for some privileges. People who roam with hands around your shoulders can in no time change and be the ones grumbling about you. Loyalty and faithfulness are becoming rare virtues. Let’s try to bring about a change. Change won’t be possible if we point out fingers and begin complaining that the other person has been unfaithful. We must take a personal commitment that we will be faithful no matter what happens.

            True-blue! pun intended …. Yes! This bird is blue in colour (a very attractive blue in fact) but here when I say true blue my main purpose is to lay emphasis on its extreme sense of loyalty that this bird shows.

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. 

Lessons from Nature: Being Undemanding

One Sunday morning I woke up a little later than usual. The room was brightened by the gentle morning sun. The whole week was very tiring with tests, assignments, classes and video and poster editing. After freshening up I sat on my bed and with no intention of working, I picked up my phone, played 4 pics 1 word, scrolled through some Facebook 5minuts craft videos, watched a few funny clips on YouTube, replied to my What’s app contacts and listened to some music. I was not satisfied, I was feeling lazy, looking around I realized that my room was a mess and it resembled a perfect garbage treatment plant. I told myself 5 min break and then total clean up. I began cleaning my bed, my basket of dirty clothes was overflowing even my study table was decorated with clothes. I cleared the table, arranged my books, put the pens and markers in the pen-holder and there I saw my 4 tiny cactus pots.

The plants were in good condition. They still looked fresh. I hadn’t nurtured them, nor did they even get proper sunlight in my apparently dingy room. I felt very bad that I had not cared enough for the plants that beautified my room, especially my table. These plants had made me feel fresh. Taking care of plants is as good as having a pet. And when the plants grows well it’s a great joy for the one who takes care of it. Here despite my negligence the suclants had survived. I felt relieved that the plants were in good condition. This made me realize that the cactus is really strong as well as low maintenance plant. It’s so undemanding. I’m often fussy about food, clothing and other luxuries but this cactus plants thought me to be tough and most importantly undemanding when it comes to comforts and luxury. 

Moral: As Buddha said, “Desire is the root cause of sorrow,” thus find happiness in what you have.  

Lessons from Nature: Stand out

One fine morning I went to the terrace to expose myself to some vitamin D. I looked around it was pleasant, the blue sky served as a wonderful background to the cheerful white clouds, the morning sun and the calm breeze brightened my mood. 

I walked around in order to flex my muscles and that’s when I spotted beautiful pink flowers blooming under the solar panels. I immediately bent down to have a closer look at them. My right hand mechanically reached my pocket; I clicked picture of those beautiful flowers from all the angles possible. While admiring my photography skills and of course the beautiful flowers I realized there was a problem. The pot looked horrible and mud failed to resemble the soil we see in YouTube videos: perfectly moist, blackish-brown and effortlessly soft. I was discouraged and stood up and that’s when wisdom dawned upon me. I realized that it’s not the pot or the look of the soil that is essential rather the most important thing is the kind of plant and the way the gardener nurtures it. In our lives too we blame the people around us for being corrupt and immoral. We seldom realize that we need to stand out. Our upbringing and our character is that what can help us make a difference.

Moral: Let's stand out despite of the external struggles, because what matters is our inner strength. 

Lessons from Nature: Care and Love

One sunny afternoon the laziness in me was getting attracted towards the b ed. I decided I could rest for some time, but before I forget, I wanted to water the flower pot on my window and that’s when my whole focus shifted from crashing on to the bed to the cat outside my window. The cat had three kittens and it was grooming them. It licked them gently while the kittens were playfully jumping all over and the mother cat was watching over them. I could not believe my eyes it was the same cat that was hissing at me a few days back while I accidently reached too close to it. I was also reminded how the same cat had mercilessly caught and killed a vulnerable pigeon. It had also got into an ugly situation with a dog that just wanted to play; it scratched the dog so bad that it would have gone blind. 

I was lost in my thoughts, but a tiny tin dropped by one of the kittens brought me back to reality. I wondered to myself, how this cat which is generally so cruel be so nice. I realized that even we humans, are kind, loving and compassionate towards the people we like. We human beings are blessed with reason and understanding and it’s easier for us to take control and know the difference between good and bad. I was thrilled by what I was thinking; I felt how Thomas Edison must have felt while inventing the bulb. We have become destructive because the love within us is sinking. In olden days most people lived knowing and loving those around them. In the villages people knew practically everybody, thus would not want to hurt. We claim that technology has made the entire world a global village, but we don’t even know the person staying in the adjacent flat in my building. There are thefts and murders in our neigbourhood and we get to know about this through social media after a few some time, we aren’t there to console or help the victims or distressed. My biggest realization was that if we have a little love and care we could change the world and make it a better place. Hatred can’t be fought with hatred we need love to defeat it. Let’s be kind and try to love all.

Lessons from Nature: Don’t be ashamed

 On an unusual gloomy day I went out for a walk. The weather was crazy that day, it was suddenly raining cats and dogs and the next moment there was bright sunshine. 

As I was trying to comprehend the weather I looked around, it was a beautiful sight with all the greenery around. It was blowing and I could feel the freshness, but suddenly my olfactory indicators identified a foul stench and I soon realized that it was from the piggery nearby so I advanced towards it.  As we were walking towards it I could hear my friend whispering all sought of curses at the pigs. I love animals but I didn’t say a word. I saw Chinu-Mama with the wet waste dustbin, feeding the pigs. As I looked towards the piggery I felt I was hypnotized I could not think clearly.  My vision was blurred. As I was struggling I precipitously came back to reality. I imagined the world without pigs in particular and other animals that clean our surrounding in general. How filthy and dirty our world would be? No animals to clean up thus increase in waste and rotting of waste would give rise to various diseases. 

I thanked God for creating pigs and other animals that clean our surrounding. I suddenly heard someone saying to Chinu-Mama: “Do your work quickly there is lot more to do”. This harsh voice brought me back to reality, and in all consciousness I said another prayer, this time it was for us human beings. I asked God to give us the grace to respect all, irrespective of their caste, creed, language, colour and most importantly occupation. I prayed for wisdom so that we may realize the hard work and importance of people who are doing what society would term as ‘dirty work’. 

Another important learning was that, pigs actually are more than what we know about them. Pigs are smart! Their intelligence is higher than a dog’s. Pigs are naturally clean, they like to bath and keep them cool. When they are trained, piglets can learn their names at just two to three weeks old. They can learn to respond when called and learn tricks faster than dogs. Pigs have excellent memories. They can remember things for years and can recognize and remember objects! A pig’s sense of smell is about 2000 times more sensitive than human's. Pigs are incredibly social. They form close bonds with each other and other animals. To keep warm, pigs may cuddle up with one another.

Do you still hate pigs? Pigs despite all these qualities of theirs are not ashamed of doing what society would call dirty jobs. Why are we human beings ashamed? Why do we judge each other according to our occupation?

Moral: Do not be ashamed, you are doing nothing wrong, your job is so special that all aren’t able to do it.