Gerald D'Cunha

“You may give them your love but not your thoughts. For they have their own thoughts, You may house their bodies but not their souls. For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.”     -       Kahlil Gibran on Children W hen all this Boys’ and Girls’ Locker-room controversy is raging outside, when all and sundry are sitting on their judgement seats and handing out their verdicts on the ‘guilty’… I start wondering if there were ‘locker rooms’ while I was a young school boy… If dirty thoughts passed through my mind and if I and some of my friends chatted our private stuff. Horrible thoughts do pass through my mind even now… The locker room is still there, very much there. Am I alone here? Hope I am not… None of the so-called ‘dirty thoughts’ come in a young one from his parents and teachers. Mine did not come from my parents or teachers. So, let’s stop blaming abo...

Pic.: Malabika Ganguly A fter reading my last Post – ‘YOU ANT, MAKE THE ELEPHANT DANCE TO YOUR TUNE’, Anuprita*, who lives in the US, wrote to me this: Hi Gerry. I have not been in touch for many weeks now with you, but I continue reading your posts. Life has become a little more challenging lately. That's the nature of life, isn't it? Along with challenges, there has been fulfilling moments too. For that, I am thankful. I wanted to share that the ant-and-elephant blog-piece was very interesting. That analogy is also true in situations where we have to do the ‘right thing’. I am currently feeling burdened from realizing that I have not, always, done the right thing in life situations that needed me to overcome my fears, anxieties and unwillingness to take the difficult route and do the right thing. And when you cannot turn back the clock, that's a difficult truth to make peace with. Thought I can share with you and, perhaps, share my burden. ...

Pic.: Neerja Panchal T here is a dialogue in the Disney-movie ‘The Lion King’. I go back to it, regularly, just to refresh myself when I get weighed down by some of my daily confusions… particularly my confusions about good or bad, fruitful or wasteful… to strive or to give up and so on. Mufasa: Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures, from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope. Young Simba : Dad, don't we eat the antelope? Mufasa: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life. I find this conversation between the father and the son – the King and the Prince – very relevant for all of us in all walks of life… Because, Life is, in deed, a great circle… and, all events, all things… and all creatures … are, in deed connected in...

  Pic.: Fr. Reginald Pinto T wo days ago, my wife and I watched the latest movie – “Diana’. The movie deals with the last two years of Princess Diana’s life, just after her divorce with Prince Charles… ending with her death in the tragic car-crash in Paris. As we had gone to watch the movie without any preconceived ideas or the influence of any film-reviews, and, also, as both of us had heard or read about the incidences in Princess Diana’s life, we really came out liking the movie. The film shows that Diana longed for an ordinary life… love and affection of an ordinary soul. But, the destiny wouldn’t allow her live a quiet life… The more she avoided to be in limelight, the more she was drawn to it… the more she yearned to be anchored with the love and affection of a simple yet strong soul, the more disappointed she would become, in the end. Love eluded her, till her tragic end! In the movie, we get to know Diana’s post-divorce ro...

Image courtesy: Google Just outside my classes, we have a small garden. For last couple of days, the little kids – Vyomie, Tanish, Vishesh and a dozen others, all between age 10 and 12 – have been planning for their mega-show – ‘Dahi Handi’ .   It will be staged in our gardens, today evening, at 4. Vyomie and gang had barged into my office, last afternoon – throwing themselves out of their school bus, they had straight away come into my office – to announce: “Sir, you have to contribute Rs. 30/- for the ‘Dahi Handi’ ; we are coming in the evening to collect.” “Ok sweet-hearts,” I pulled them close to me, “Shall I give it now?” “No, we will come in the evening,” they said in a chorus… At 5 sharp, in the evening, they were here with a neatly-prepared list. They proudly started from me… So, I am waiting… I am excited! L ord K rishna is a very inspiring teacher - Dashing and dynamic… Practical and tactical… Loving an...