Gerald D'Cunha

  “If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have less, give of your heart.” Anonymous   O n the New-year day, I had called to wish one of my elderly relatives. This woman had struggled hard all her life and given her children quite a cushioned life… In the process, she hadn’t kept anything for her old age or medical issues. For past few years, her health has been waning and making her fully dependent – financially as well as physically – on her married children. During my conversation with this woman, she mentioned about one of her nieces, who is in her mid-sixties. “Gerry, she had called me yesterday and told me, that she had been very sick and nobody was     helping her. I feel bad… Her dad had helped me when I was young and struggling… I want to help her financially. But, you know my situation… I can’t take any decision on my own… I am completely dependent on my children… I am scared to ask them to do anything in this respect.” I heard out my elde...

“How we behave toward cats here below determines our status in heaven.”   – Robert A. Heinlein I n the staircase of the building where I live, there is a cat who has just delivered a couple of babies. She has occupied a tiny corner of the staircase on one of the floors… The household, that feeds this cat and her babies some milk or some food, is her – and her babies’ – annadhata . Every time I pass by this cat and her babies, I feel guilty that I don’t do what those neighbours of mine do… So, to cover up my guilt, I stop for a while near the cat and her babies and offer my empty hand… The cat stretches her face close to my hand to smell it… It’s the smell of the food I have just eaten at my home… But, that seems to make the cat a little happier... She offers herself to me for a little caressing… I can feel how much she loves it! And, then, I move on with my life! Today morning, the man of that kind household ha...

  “People who advocate simplicity have money in the bank; the money came first, not the simplicity.” ―  Douglas Coupland,  The Gum Thief Ki-taek : She's rich, but still nice. Chung-sook:  Not ‘rich, but still nice.’ She's nice because she's rich. Hell, if I had all this money. I'd be nice, too! -   From the movie ‘Parasite’ W hile my wife and I were entering inside the grand lobby area of R City Mall in Mumbai, a very delightful sight – did I say 'delightful'? – greeted us. About hundred little school-children from one of the poorest neighbourhood-areas had been brought there, apparently, to give them a feel of what a mall was – or was it what an affluent life was? I don’t know what these little angels, in their soiled school uniform, were brought there for… A couple of teachers had made the kids sit on the floor in a beautifully-disciplined manner… Kids had a box of snacks and Frooti in ha...