Gerald D'Cunha

  “Extraordinary things are always hiding in places people never think to look.” Jodi Picoult   T his morning, while our teacher was guiding us through the meditative Tai Chi session (online), I suddenly became aware of my breath… my heart… my lungs… my spleen… my liver… and, my kidneys!  I am 63… I have been knowing about the role my breath and these organs played in my life. I have been writing about them – particularly the heart and breath – in my writings, so often. Still, this morning, when our Tai Chi teacher guided us to rub rigorously our palms, and place them gently over each of these important organs of our body –   heart, lungs, spleen, liver and kidneys… to feel their presence, to thank them profusely… to caress them with the smiling, loving and healing energy of the Mother Nature… yes, as I was doing it, this morning, with a striking awareness, I could see an overwhelming feeling in my being… Breath felt anew… Heart felt childlike… Spleen...

  “When I took a heavenly ride through our silence, I knew the moment had arrived For killing the past and coming back to life.” (From the song ‘Coming Back to Life’ by Pink Floyd)   I think, one of the most amazing graces in life is the grace of coming home; which, truly means the grace of coming back to life! In this complex world, the consoling fact about living is, that we all are fellow-humans with our respective flaws. None of us – I say ‘none of us’ – here on this planet, is a flawless soul. We are programmed to operate in this world with our respective ‘defects’. An honest awareness of this fact about us is enough to keep us firmly grounded… be kind not only towards others, but also towards ourselves. Most of us find it difficult to adjust with others, essentially because of   our inability to be kind towards others and ourselves. Others make mistakes just as we do. Others have the right to make amends just as we do. We need to overlook others’ flaw...

“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 ...

B y now, many of us have watched the video which captures the tragic incident that happened in Chembur, Mumbai, wherein,  Mrs. Kanchan Rajat Nath, a morning walker was crushed to death by a falling tree!  I have watched this video a couple of times and it has not only left me disturbed with many questions, it has also left me a lot mellowed… This woman, who looked very graceful, had started her day on a positive note – morning walk and Yoga. When you see that coconut tree falling on her head, you wonder if the tree was waiting all along aiming at her head… It looks as precise, as ruthless and as swift as that! The questions that disturb me are: Why, of all the passersby’s, it had to be this woman? Why, of all the times, it had to be this time – early morning - when her heart was so peaceful? What must be the thought of people who crossed the same path seconds before or after that incident? Who saved these people and why? Blaming BMC for not doi...

“It's amazing how day in and day out you are able to connect to such small things in life…” Poonam had written it in her comment after reading my last post. It is close to twenty-five years since she did her TY B’Com under me. Now, she has a daughter of that age! And, she has written in her comment yesterday: “How are you able to connect to such small things in life, day in and day out…? It is amazing!” I had replied to her:  “Thank u so much Poonam... Felt good. Yes, even I do not know. I am writing on it today... Pl read. Hope, that may be the answer. Love.” What is there around is there for all of us. Is it not? The milkman, the newspaper boy, the Dhobhi, the maid servant, the autowala, the garbage picker, the postman, the watchman, the nasty neighbor, the thankless boss, or the rebel child or nagging parents… Is this not our world around? It is not our daily story? Is it not available to all of us? ...