I HEARD IT FROM A SQUIRREL

 



Sometimes, big trees grow out of acorns…

I think, I heard that from a squirrel.”

Jerry Coleman

 

Little squirrels are my favourites… They are very inspiring creatures.

If you watch them, you will notice how busy they are –- all the time jumping and hopping… all the time collecting acorns -– the little seeds of oak trees … for that matter, seeds of any trees… yes, they gather them, dig holes in the ground and burry so many of them, all over –- to save them for the winter season. But, then, they are known for their forgetfulness… Most of the seeds do not get retrieved by these forgetful squirrels… and, they grow into mighty trees… and, trees grow into gigantic forests…

Many years ago, on seeing my relentless acts of writing, publishing them into books and magazines, a gentleman had reminded me of the relentless acts of little squirrels… “They just burry the nuts in the ground and forget about them. The nuts, which are forgetfully left behind, become great trees.”

Did I burry the nuts and forgot about them?

Presently, I am busy putting together my blog articles  -- the little nuts I had buried and forgotten about –- into ten beautiful books. I have been getting in touch with many of my past students and well-wishers and appealing them to support our Centre (The Dawn Club Centre of Excellence) by subscribing to these books.

The seeds, I had accidentally and unintentionally buried, have grown into fruits-giving trees. Thus, the support seems spontaneous, genuine…

Some months ago, when Reshma’s father was critically ill, I had visited them. She lived in England  and, here, when her father was ill, she had a difficult time. One noon, when I visited them, I carried in a tiffin some home-cooked chicken biryani. Reshma shared it with her ailing father and kept remembering it for long. Yesterday, I saw her message. “Sir, tomorrow will be Dad’s birthday. Can you please share the bank details of the Centre… Allow me to make a small contribution.”

I had not appealed to Reshma about it. But, she did it on her own… remembering her father.

And, today, I saw another contribution from Hong Kong. Meetu, who I had never appealed to, quietly had done it with a touching note. “Sir, please accept it. Wishing you all the best.”

It was Shilpa, Meetu’s sister, who had told her (Meetu) about the books I was planning to publish. Shilpa had already done her bit, and, quietly encouraged her sister to do her bit, too…

“Sir, we talk about your kindness, aways… So much respect for you,”

Shilpa, Meetu and their brother Amish –- they lived right behind my classes. It was more than thirty years ago. The little kindness, which these grown-up kids are now remembering, is what I had ‘buried and forgotten’ just the way little squirrels did. But, then, here are the ‘accidental trees and their amazing fruits’…

Incidentally, I reminded these ‘grown-up trees’ about an act of kindness, which their mother had quietly done, long ago, and forgotten about it. I wrote:

“Nearly thirty years ago, my wife, Anima, was hospitalized for  month. Our son was just 2 or 3 years of age., Those were my peak days…I used to work till 9.30/10 every night. So, one night, while closing my classes, Mom handed me a hot dish of home-cooked rajma… It was such a thoughtful gesture, that I keep reminding Anima about it. That generation made the era golden.”

While quietly depositing the subscription amount into our Centre’s account, Meetu or Shilpa had not told me, that it was their mother’s birthday today… I learnt about it through Facebook…

I connected the dots… Reshma had done it in memory of her late father… Meetu and Shilpa had done it to pray for good health and well-being for their mother…




Jerry Coleman is right: “Sometimes, big trees grow out of acorns…”

And, yes, even I heard it from a squirrel…

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: suwalls.com

Video: Parle Products

 

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