Gerald D'Cunha

  “I told her once I wasn’t good at anything. She told me, survival is a talent.” Susanna Kaysen   S ome days ago, a dear friend of mine and his wife called me. They wanted me to help their house help’s son in the Accountancy subject. “Our house help belongs to UP sate, who has been living with us for a very long time. An extremely sincere and caring woman, she has been taking care of our son (now a young man) since he was a little boy.” They continued, “Her own 16-year-old son, who lived with her husband in their village has left home and come here. The boy is fed up with the physical and mental abuse from his father. Because of the situation at home, he hasn’t prepared for the upcoming class X1 exams (which are scheduled to be held in the second week of February), particularly in Accountancy. Can something be done?” I have already completed the portion with my Class X1 students and revision classes are expected to go on for a week or so. When I checked with this bo...

  “Try to keep your soul young and quivering right up to old age.” George Sand   O n 3 rd of this July, my Mom completed 88 years. She had five sons. Harry, her third son, passed away a couple of years ago. She remembered the birthdays of all her sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and most of our relatives. She even remembered the wedding and death anniversaries of most of her near and dear ones… But, after her fall, two years ago, Mom has been confined to her bed and wheelchair. Her memory is gone, and she cannot recognize anyone… We four, her surviving sons, decided to meet and celebrate her 88 th birthday this time. Her life had been, always, church-centric: Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, Patron saints… Holy Mass, Holy Sacrament, hymns, confessions, priests, Bishops, and the Pope… at home, the daily rosary and angelus… She lived by the Lord’s Prayer – ‘Our Father… Give us our daily bread…” So, it was befitting to organize a beautiful Mass at home on Mom’s 88...

  “Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of   dead habit .” From Tagore’s poem ‘Where the Mind is Without Fear’   M y previous Blog was about gossip! “Sir, you should blog on this topic. It’s not gossip, but awareness,” Brinal messaged me, last night, along with a moving video on Fr. Stan Swami’s life, work and last days, which lead to his death… I replied, “Brinal, we all are deeply moved and anguished by this. Hundreds of people, with clean conscience, are speaking up. You and I, Christians, should quietly pray… for better sense to prevail and for Fr. Stan’s soul to rest in peace. Honestly, I am too disturbed to write on him, now… Just praying.” “But, Sir, the pen is mightier than sword. You have the gift of writing… A way to reach out to many without saying a word. Of course, at this stage, we can only pray. But, you can do both – write and pray. Please write, Sir,” Brinal insisted. “Of course, I will, dear. I...

  “Past three weeks have put a spring back in my step.” Captain Tom Moore   I was invited to conduct an online session on ‘Self-confidence and Communication Skills’ for students of first-year Architecture at a premier institute. The session was held this morning. I, always, tell the young ones my own story: how I went about developing my own self-confidence and communication skills. It is easy to tell my own story – because, it’s true to me. The events were real… My killing inferiority-complex – what we today call as ‘social anxiety’ – was a real thing to me when I was these students’ age… I suffered from a crushing feeling of worthlessness, which showed up on my body and mind both… Despite my ‘good-boy’ image, I endlessly felt undeserving and worthless… It had affected my academic performance… I wasn’t clear about what I had to pursue in life… My dream box was empty… Enthusiasm and motivation, which are, always, linked to our dreams, obviously, had forsaken me. And, ...