Gerald D'Cunha

  “True miracle is not walking on water or walking in air, but simply walking on this earth.” Thich Nhat Hanh   E verything I have learnt in life has not been taught to me by my school and college teachers, parents or grandparents, or by my spiritual teachers. Yes, I have learnt a great deal from them. But, the most valuable lessons, which I have learnt in my life, often, I have learnt by being quiet… watching the sky and the sea, the grass and the grasshopper, the just-born and the just-dead… I have learnt many, many lessons from strangers and, even, from my oppressors… Like these simple things, which I have consciously embraced to practice in my life… To address people – including the parents of my students - as ‘Sir’ and ‘Madam’; regardless of their age, education or position… To rise when I greet people in person… I feel, I should follow this more and more often… Just rise… To add that personal touch in my every conversation – be it on SMS, WhatsApp, FB, em...

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” Albert Einstein M y wife and I are presently staying at my in-laws' place because of the lockdown. Today, early in the morning, my 85-year-old father-in-law asked me about a Mother Mary shrine near Mangalore. “Today is the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel,” he said. I was clueless about both, the feast and the Mount Carmel shrine which my father-in-law was talking about. It was 6.30 in the morning… He had already finished saying his prayers! A couple of hours later, Jennifer, my cousin, sent to me this picture: She wrote, “Remembering Sr. Leo who used to give us these scapulars every time she visited us.” Sr. Leo was my aunt. She and Jennifer’s mom (Mary) were both my dad’s younger sisters. Sr. Leo (Cecil, her real name) was a Carmelite nun. She was one of the calmest souls we had known. Whenever she visited...

“There are only two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing is a miracle… The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ―  Albert Einstein Y esterday, I was invited to be the Guest of Honour at a function in a well-known school. The school had organized an amazing exhibition of the work done by tender children from Nursery to Standard Four… The theme was:  ‘A BETTER ME’. Well, an idea – or an ideal – like ‘A Better Me’ has to come from the head of the school. In this case, yes, it had come from the school’s dynamic Principal… “I believe, that what matters in a child’s education is not ‘aptitude’ alone but ‘attitude’, too,” the Principal stressed in her speech. The school teachers and parents had worked very hard along with little children and created scores of creatively meaningful exhibits. Every piece of work was to sensitize the little ones towards the goal of developing a better attitude in life and, thereby,...

There is a place called ‘Thaneer Bhavi’ in Mangalore. Translated from Kannada, it means ‘cold-water well’. I do not know how this name has come about… In Konkani, we used to call this place ‘Thantrebail’. I do not know what that means, either. But, I know this much: it is a beautiful beach! My earliest memory about this place was going there with my parents when I was very small. There was no direct access to this beach. We would first go to a place called ‘Sultan Batteri’. It was a small, ancient fort built by Tipu Sultan on the banks of a river. From this spot, a local boat had to ferry us across to this little island-like place – ‘Thaneer Bhavi’. No beach in Mangalore is safe for swimming, including this one. But, I still remember I would simply jump with joy whenever I was around this place.  The locals were mostly Christians from the fishing community. A small church stood right in the midst of those windy beach-trees. Wow! That quiet beauty! This church would come...

Y es, I woke up this morning… This is the greatest miracle in my life. Some how, I never think it is… I think, that I am ‘entitled’ to wake up, each morning… That, it is my ‘right’. Last nigh, my heart was heavy… I was angry and bitter with someone. It was supposed to be the last thought I would carry to my bed… It was consuming me like hell-fire. My mind was arguing with my heart - “You are right.” Yes, I might have been ‘right’… And the other person Might have deserved all my rage and ranting. But, that did not help me to go to bed like a little child; My heart did not want a justification for my bitterness… It wanted a healing kiss. I went by my heart… Without even blinking, I sent a message to the person: ‘I am sorry’… With no strings attached. I also sent a couple of loving messages To those who I missed… “Who knows,” my heart throbbed, “Tomorrow may not come.” One more morning… One more miracle… Amazing Grace! Amazing...

F or the last one week, I have been receiving on my cell phone this message:  “Want to TRANSFORM your life? Want to be Healthy, Wealthy and Happy? Join our LIFE-TRANSFORMING two-day Workshop on…… at an unbelievable price Rs…….! Call, right now, Miss…..  on …….. to avoid disappointment. Only limited seats!” Believe me, for one full week, at least three times a day, this message has been reminding me ‘Only limited seats’! The best part is that: the person who is going to ‘transform our lives’ knows me, personally. But, he finds nothing wrong in selling his Workshop like that! Am I jealous of a competitor? I have nothing to do with such competition. I feel pity for such things! Yes, Life can ‘transform’ even in two seconds… And, all free of cost. One doesn’t need a ‘Miracle Man’ like me – or this man who sends me the message – to carry out this mission.  When we have our intentions clear, the Universe conspires with us. I use the word ‘conspires’ to convey that the U...