THIS DAILY BREAD IS ENOUGH FOR ME















The grass has been always greener on the other side of the fence… And, no matter how many mountains I have scaled in my life and no matter how many seas and deserts I have crossed… how many medals, how many millions, how many doctorates and headlines… the man grazing on the other side of the fence shall always allure me, tempt me… even corrupt me!

‘Thou shall not covet thy neighbours’s wife, wealth, fame, name, position, happiness or whatever that belong to him.” I don’t know why God kept this last in the list of His ‘Ten Commandments’. When my neighbor – the one who grazes on the other side of the fence – climbs a few steps higher on the so-called ‘success ladder’… making some headlines and money, why should I feel restless? “Good for him,” is how one of my ‘enlightened’ friends greets all such good news and success stories relating to his own neigbours.  He asks: “At the end of the day he, you and I – we all have to come home for a goodnight’s sleep… Don’t we have to?”

I have been a teacher, trainer and writer. I will be 60 next year. So, a part of me inside is tempted: “Friend, you are still inside your own pond… Leap out… take a ‘quantum leap’… a giant step… You can reach there and you can do that and do this… you can make a huge name, make loads of money… and, that and this and that!”

“Then, my friend, like everyone else, I, too, have to come home for a good night’s sleep to feel happy about myself… Right?” I calm myself down...

Let the grass be greener on the other side of the fence… Let my neighbor be rich, famous and powerful… Good for him… I am really happy for him.  As for me, the Lord’s Prayer would be sufficient: “Lord, give us our daily bread.”

There is so much strength in the ‘daily bread’ God gives us. You feel so nourished by this daily bread…

Pranali*, my friend, who lives in America, and who regularly reads my daily simple Blogs, sent me this ‘daily bread’ after reading the Blog I had posted two days ago (‘Our Soft Skills and Our Soft Hearts’)…

Hi Gerry, this evening, I experienced ‘soft skills’ with reference to my older son, who is in college now. Since he goes to college in the same city we live in, we get to see him often.

We had stopped by to drop off some homemade food, only after checking with him if he wanted it… It turned out that his interaction was a bit harsh when we actually dropped off the food, leaving me having some unpleasant feelings. He is actually very sweet, mature and thoughtful… but, this evening, he seemed annoyed and irritated... I resolved I would be never going to take any food again, unless he begs me to bring him food!

I was pleasantly surprised and pleased when I got a text from my son a few minutes ago, saying, “Mom, I am sorry if I offended you… I had a busy week-end and was stressed out… I appreciate you a lot.”

I really value these ‘soft skills’ my son has… It means a lot to his mom.

*Name changed


Now tell me, how much ‘Greener’ our fields need be to feel the nourishment this mother felt in her heart and here – oceans afar – I felt in my heart? May my neigbour prosper more and more and more…

This daily bread is enough for me…

GERALD D’CUNHA


Pic.: Anil Bedi

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