A SAPLING...


















On her way to school, little Punita, came to show me the sapling she had to take to school today. “Sir, see this; it is called a ‘sapling’,” the six-year-old said confidently like her school teacher.


“Show me dear; it is lovely,” I held the sapling in my hand for a while, “What are you going to do with it in your school?”


“That, our miss is going to tell us,” Punita replied. She was getting late, “Thank you sir; bye sir,”… and with that the little lady disappeared.


“What are you going to do with this sapling, honey?”


It is a question laden with truth!


The sapling, will be planted… nursed when small… with all the love and care… with hope and trust… till it becomes a ‘tree’… strong, confident… yes till it is laden with fruits!


I kept looking out of the window…












Punita is small… like the sapling she was carrying to school today. Her wonderful parents, and grand parents at home and her amazing ‘miss’ at school are nursing her with all the love and care… Like the little sapling, she is raised with great hope and trust. Along with love, there is a good amount of discipline: values to imbibe and good attitude to wear. 


I remembered the old saying:

“A tree is shaped when it is a sapling!”


I felt very happy for little Punita… I was able to see the tree, standing tall with grace, strength and loaded with fruits!


Then, my face wore a sudden seriousness… 


I remembered one more ‘tree quote’ of years or yore:

“Let the tree laden with fruits always bend!”


“Yes Punita, when you grow up and stand tall and shining – successful in life – may you be humble. Please bend like the tree laden with fruits,” I wished with my earnestness.





With all the love and care 


the little sapling, Punita, 


was being showered upon, 


I had no reasons to doubt on it. 


The tree, tomorrow, would bend… 


Yes, loaded with fruits!




Finally, I felt like telling this to little Punita with a protective hug even though she would not understand it now:

 “Only a tree laden with fruits will be stoned by people!”


Well, sweetheart, there is a lot of time for you to understand this old saying. Don’t you worry… Just enjoy your days at home and school… 


I promise you that I will surely come and stand under your shade when you grow up…


And, yes,  I will remember what you had taught me today:

“This is called a ‘sapling’!”




GERALD D’CUNHA


Pics.:Vivek D'Cunha














Comments

Umesh Narang said…
Very touching! Umesh
August 4, 2012 at 4:30 PM
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Thanks Umesh. Love, GERRY
August 5, 2012 at 8:46 AM
Nisha D'Souza said…
I loved the way u have connected the little girl and the sapling! Grt!

- Nisha
August 5, 2012 at 12:19 PM
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Thanks Nisha, love. Gerry
August 5, 2012 at 5:06 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or painful that
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How does it matter
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...