Gerald D'Cunha

“ If you can gift your son or daughter only one gift – let it be enthusiasm.” Bruce Barton W hy only to son or daughter?   Most of us know what a valuable gift enthusiasm is. So, be it our students, employees or associates – for that matter, anyone who comes in contact with us - gifting away enthusiasm is one of the most empowering acts you and I can carry out. By the way, does it work other way round, too? Do our young sons and daughters, our students, associates and employees, too, gift us enthusiasm? I believe, they do. Just as parents gift their children, teachers gift their students and employers gift their employees this valuable gift – enthusiasm, children, students and employees, too, gift their counterparts the same. So, it works from both the ends. Because, on both the ends, there live humans… They all need to be charged… enthused! As a teacher, I have survived for over four decades, not only due to my own enthusiasm, I have survived...

“But, wishes are only granted in fairy tales.” Simone Elkeles T he reason why some tales are called ‘Fairy Tales’ is, because, they, always, end with this wonderful ending: ‘And they lived happily ever after’! If Fairies don’t exist, how can you expect to live happily ever after? They both exist only in our childish fantasies… Often, meant to put us to sleep! Some thirty-odd years ago – yes, I was a young man then – a very experienced and elderly teacher pointed to a casual phrase I had written and asked me, ‘What do you mean by this?” The phrase was ‘Lasting Happiness’! I, instantly, found myself stumped! Before it was too late, I pulled out that weed from my vocabulary. Since then, to me, ‘Happiness’ – yes, it does exist. ‘Lasting Happiness’ – No, it doesn’t! Just as Fairies… Just as that mirage of living happily ever after! I think, the Pursuit of Happiness should be a pursuit in this real world… Not in the ‘other world’… the world of Fairies! ...

“When you make peace with yourself, You make peace with the world.” Maha Ghosananda A dear old-student of mine, who is a Chartered Accountant and employed in a fairly large auditing firm, had sent her belated birthday wishes to me, today. During the course of our chatting, she wrote, quite seriously, “My work-from- home is going on, Sir… Blessed being salaried!” The anxiety behind those words was palpable! In these uncertain times, when you see how employed people are being laid off or their salaries being chopped off, the thought that you still have a job, and still get a salary, is a thought of gratitude. The Pandemic hasn’t spared any of us – whether we are employed or self-employed. So, the Lord’s Prayer – ‘Give us this day our daily bread’ – sounds so meaningful now. Asking for even the butter or jam on the bread sounds sacrilegious! But, the same Lord had once blasted at the temping Devil saying, “Go away… Man shall not live on bread alone, but on eve...

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN By Robert Frost Two roads divulged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads divulged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. I don’t think, they have stopped including this poem in today’s High-school English text books. I hope, they haven’t. We had it in our ninth standard. And, you know ...

"It’s a sad moment, really, when parents first become a bit frightened of their children.” Ama Ata Aidoo I n Life, the right time to learn ‘acceptance’ is when we are born itself. The reason is simple: We have no choice about our birth and parents! Choices come about later, much later. Being born to ‘wonderful parents’ is purely a privilege.   But, what do I mean by ‘wonderful parents’? Am I referring to their education, economic and social status? Or, am I referring to their behaviour, values, culture, quality of their marriage, outlook towards family and society etc.? Yes, we inherit a lot of things from our parents… including our shyness and confidence. As I said, having wonderful parents is purely a privilege in Life. However, unless we show, that we are worthy of this privilege, it won’t take us far. In fact, it can prove counterproductive. On the other hand, those of us, who are deprived of this privilege, are not condemned to hell-fire… Far from ...

Thank you for gracing my life with your lovely presence; for adding sweet measure of your soul to my existence." Richard Matheson ‘P resence’ is a powerful word! You and I know how we can experience the ‘presence’ of some people in our lives, even though they are not around us physically… They may be thousands of miles away… We may not have met them for decades… They may not be even alive. Yet, they are in our memories – fresh and alive… Our hearts have a special place for these people… The very thought of them fills our being with love and strength! Life-partners, soulmates, friends, relatives, teachers, students, mentors, classmates, associates, neighours – from whichever sphere these people may come from… but, now, they have come to ‘live’ in our consciousness… We can constantly feel their ‘presence’… And, their presence makes our lives worth living. The thought that they are there for us, with us… Yes, “Thanks for being there” – Have we not said thi...

“Grace is the free, undeserved goodness and favour of God to mankind.” Matthew Henry A dear friend of mine, who never forgets to wish me on my birthday, sounded a bit anxious, this morning (23 rd July). “Was your b’day yesterday, or is it tomorrow?” she messaged me to check, “Hope, I haven’t missed it.” “Don’t worry, you haven’t missed it,” I calmed my friend down, “It’s tomorrow.” “Thank God,” my friend said with a sigh of relief, “I will call you tomorrow.” “L ive as if there is no tomorrow.” Often, this line is used in a negative sense… If one lives carelessly, this line suits him. In Goa, such a casual and laid-back attitude to life is called ‘ Susegad ’… ‘Khao, piyo, maja karo’ ! But, what about Pumbaa and Timon’s African philosophy - ‘Hakuna Matata’, in the movie ‘The Lion King’? Is it an attitude of being ‘careless’ or ‘carefree’? Have I been, predominantly, ‘careless’ in my life, or ‘carefree’? I really do not know… But, one ...