WHAT COMES TO US NATURALLY... IS OUR CALLING IN LIFE

What comes to us naturally is our calling in life!

Let me recount a mundane episode to explain this logic.

Last evening, I received a phone call, all out of the blue. It was Cynthia. She was in twelfth-standard, when I had taught her Accountancy, some thirty-five years ago!  I was in my final year B’Com, then. Inspired by my idol, Prof. B.S. Raman, I had started teaching dozens of students, all for free… I was obsessed to become a teacher… and, a teacher like my idol, in that. Yes, nothing else, nothing less!

So, Cynthia was one of those, with whom my early teaching experience had begun. I left Mangalore soon after some time…and, my contact with all my students in Mangalore, including Cynthia, was lost immediately.

Those were not the days of cell-phones, e-mails and Face book. We had to write letters to keep in touch. It was not easy as it is today.

I was very happy to talk to Cynthia, last evening. I learnt that she did not have a FB account. But, she said that she would ask her young daughter, Michelle, who studied in twelfth-standard, to send me a friend request. This morning, I found the request and I quickly accepted it.

Michelle doesn’t know me; perhaps, she has never heard about me… We haven’t seen each other, met each other… spoken to each other… Yet, I did write a short message to her in her message box. Incidentally, her mother was in twelfth when I had taught her, about thirty-five years ago. I told Michelle that. Her grandpa was a well-known personality… very active socially and a very creative writer. He wrote many books on cookery. Even after so many years of his death, they sell like hot cakes at many places. As a young kid, I used to be very nervous whenever I went to meet him. I remember, particularly, the visit to their house on the eve of my departure from Mangalore. As usual, the gentleman was immersed, single-mindedly, in his writing, editing and re-editing work, as the rest of us went about talking. Finally, as I was about to say ‘Goodbye’, the towering figure stood up, came close to me, gave me a firm handshake and said, “My best wishes… You will shine!”

I still don’t know as to why, even till today, those words have stayed like a solid rock in my heart… Perhaps, no one else might have said that to me, before – at least, not as sincerely and as gently as Michelle’s grandpa did.

This morning, in my message, I did tell this to young Michelle… I told her that I wished to end my note with her famous grandpa’s words – for me, his lasting legacy: “Michelle, my best wishes to you… You will shine!”

Saying such things came naturally to Mr. Lobo… Cynthia’s dad… Young Michelle’s grandpa…

It comes naturally to me, too…

 

He wrote daily like a possessed man… passionately, single-mindedly…

I do the same thing, today…

So, what comes naturally to us is our calling in life, our vocation…

Doesn’t this logic make sense?

“Dear Michelle, it does…

In life, as your grandpa did, do what you love… and, love what you do… I tell you: that’s the only key – the master key – to the door called ‘Happiness’.

With loads of love…May God bless.”

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Cynthia Rodrigues

P.S. Michelle, this Post is dedicated to your adorable (late) grandpa... and yes, you!