Hi Googlies, 12/7/10
Praise Jesus! Thank you Mama Mary!
Herald Sunday Mirror published ‘Let Me Live a little Longer’ yday. Posting the text. I got a surprise yday when a friend called and mentioned that Navhind Times had published “Be My Grandpa” in Zest on Sat. I had sent it three weeks ago. Posting that story as well. Sajla, enjoy!
Home-schooling has got a thumbs-up sign from Glenn at last! Now I feel so impatient; want to take them out immediately but I will be a good girl and prepare the base and the place first. Got to buy the books and do some reading and make the schedules for each child. On Sat, I bought Charis a blank book and some pics of animals, birds, fruits, etc to get her started on recognition. She was happy with the colours I purchased and promptly started colouring everything in sight. No writing till she is five yrs at least. Want her to enjoy her childhood. Shall have a 5-day week of school. Sat will be housework and cooking day. Sunday for prayer and talent and also visits.
Yday Aaron swabbed one room and Nathan another. Kirsten swept the whole house and swabbed the hall while I did the kitchen. no work for Glenn coz he had the cooking to finish. Sun is my day ‘off’ from cooking!
Chalo then. Enough of me and my big plans. Take care n write in.
From the heart,
Auriel.
Let Me Live A Little Longer
Psychologically, our society is geared to the young. Movies, sports, advertisements, fashions all stress the importance of youth. So the elderly have less of a role to play and unless younger people help their elders to overcome the frustrations of old age, they will live out their twilight years fading out instead of blazing out.
Stop and ask yourself this: “What do older people want to get out of life?” Years ago a member of the Society of Friends summed up the basic needs of the aged thus: “Somewhere to live, something to do and someone to care.” How can you help your old family members fulfill these basic desires? You can do nothing at all unless you put yourself in an older person’s place. To do this, you must first rid yourself of these two misconceptions about aging.
Myth 1: Old age makes people different. Most of us feel that the moment a woman becomes a grandmother, she automatically assumes a halo of sweetness. And the autocratic penny-pinching dad transforms into a mellow gift-giving grandfather. Or we take the opposite view: that old age makes people crabby and cantankerous. Any elderly person has taken a long time to get the way he is, and he is going to remain that way. If Grandpa refuses to stop smoking in bed, or Grandma won’t change the fashion of her clothes, neither should be forced to do so. To accept direction (spelt correction) from those you used to have authority over in the diaper and romper stages can be a bitter pill to swallow indeed.
Myth 2: The old like to be in a safe and cozy nest. No older person likes to have his life planned for him, whether his children tuck him in an old people’s home or put him in a gilded cage. Many older people are forced into loss of self-assurance by their own children. Children may coddle aged parents not only out of concern for them but also because they really want their parents to live restricted lives so they will not interfere.
Most older people are remarkably tough and capable, even if they have physical limitations.
So plan with, not for, old people. If your older relative wants to cling to the living quarters where he’s been content for so long, stand up for him. Older people value their own homes first, and privacy at all costs anywhere. It is more economical in terms of the eventual strain that will develop on both sides to help him stay where he wants to be even if the monetary expenditure is greater.
Help the elderly person by making him know he is valued. You can ask advice or confide your troubles to him. You can ask him to write down his memoirs or to preserve family heirlooms for the grandchildren. Encourage him to pursue a hobby he loved doing in his younger days or one that he never got around to doing because of job pressures. I have heard of a man who entered medical college at 70, got his degree with honors and became an eminent physician. Another man went to law school at 71 and is now an active lawyer. Then there is this woman who learned to paint at 77, held a ‘one-man’ show at 80, and today, at 86, is still going strong. It never too late to add another ‘skill’ to the repertoire. It keeps the mind active and awake.
A few words to the elderly: A psychologist’s recipe for the elixir of youth, as given by George Lawton in the American Magazine, is what I give to you. He said: “Age cannot be measured by the number of your birthdays. As the years pile up, biological time slows down. Different parts of you grow old at different rates. Your eyes began to age at 10; your hearing around 20. By 30, your muscular strength, reaction time and reproductive powers have all passed their peak. On the other hand, your mind is still young and growing at 50; your brain doesn’t reach its zenith until 10 years after that. And from 60 on, mental efficiency declines very slowly to the age of 80.”
Older people frequently suffer some loss of memory, but creative imagination is ageless. Our judgment and reasoning powers improve, as does our strategy in tackling problems, thanks to a wealth of experience. That is why the old doctor, the experienced craftsman, the veteran lawyer can hold his own against younger and more energetic rivals. Keep your mind awake and you’ll stay young all over. Take an interest in the world around you. And make it a point of learning at least one new thing everyday. Keep up with newspapers and magazines; busy yourselves with creative hobbies, preferably ones that use the hands as well as brains. A housewife at 50, with no previous experience, made herself into an outstanding industrial designer. A retired electrical engineer has become a highly paid ceramic artist. A woman of 70 – whose children thought she should retire to the shelf- conducts a successful cooking school for brides.” Closer home, Mohan Bhandare, at 75 years, held his first solo art exhibition here in Goa at the Big Foot Art Gallery, Loutolim in May 2010. The ‘Golden Girls’ of Goa are yet another shining example of the ‘joie de vivre’ that the elderly can possess with their infectious enthusiasm for life.
So I raise a toast to the elderly - May you always have somewhere to live, something to do and someone who cares for you. May your children and your children’s children be your solace and comfort as you live the most satisfying years of your life, blazing out in glory.
BE MY GRANDPA! (Short story)
Sahir was on his way to school. The winding path, leading to the main road where he caught the bus, was a long one. It passed through a tiny hamlet. Uncle Arnold, a septuagenarian, lived in one of the ancient Portuguese houses all by himself. He would wait every day for the little boy to pass by, greeting him with a toothless smile and sometimes an offer of some delicious toffee or chocolate.
Today, Sahir looked expectantly towards Uncle Arnold’s house but the old man was nowhere in sight. “Whatever could be the matter?” thought the young lad, alarmed. He was debating whether to go in through the gate, when the next door neighbor popped her head out of the window. “Hello, Sahir. Looking for Uncle, are you? He’s not in; had a bad fall yesterday so we had to rush him to the hospital.” she said. Sahir felt sad. He walked off to catch the bus in a morose mood.
At school, Sahir could not concentrate on the lesson. His teacher, realizing that the boy was troubled, took him aside after class and asked what was wrong. Sahir told her the whole story. His teacher advised, “Why don’t you visit your Uncle in hospital? He’ll be happy to see you and you can offer to help look after him when he returns home.” Sahir’s eyes lit up. He thanked his teacher. As soon as he returned home, he told his mother, who promised to take him that very evening.
In the hospital, Uncle was all alone, looking sad and forlorn. His right leg had been put into a cast. Sahir handed him a small bouquet of assorted flowers picked from the garden Uncle tended so lovingly. “Oh, how thoughtful of you to come and see your poor Uncle!” said Uncle Arnold. “Are these from my garden? I hope someone is watering my dear friends for me.” Sahir said he would be happy to do it till Uncle was well again. ‘Come here, little one.” said Uncle, tears glistening in his aged eyes. “You do love your old Uncle, don’t you?” Sahir nodded and hide his face in the Uncle Arnold’s chest. The old man lovingly caressed his head and sighed. “I wish my own children cared as much. They are so far away. I’ve sent them news of my accident but no one has come or called yet.”
Sahir knew Uncle had a son in the States and two daughters, one in Mumbai and the other in Dubai. Aunty Carol had died a decade ago and since then Uncle Arnold lived all by himself. The children would visit in the holidays but apart from those annual visits, no one bothered with him. Sahir loved his Uncle Arnold and so he decided to look after him.
After a brief spell at the hospital, Uncle was brought home. Sahir would visit him regularly after school and in the evenings, after he had finished his homework. He cleaned the house for Uncle, watered the plants and ran errands for him. He read to him from the many books Uncle had in the library room or from the daily newspaper. Sahir’s mother sent food for him till he could move out on his own. On Sundays, Sahir would take Uncle to his house where they would play cards or carom. Sahir’s Dad would discuss current events with Uncle as they ate up Mum’s delicious luncheon.
Slowly but surely, Uncle improved in his health and was well once again. But his eyes never lost their sadness and Sahir knew why. Uncle was still waiting for his children and grandchildren to come and visit him. He would take out the family album often and look at their photographs, tears welling up in his eyes. Then he would sigh and go to his favorite rocking chair, close his eyes and dream of happier days. “How I wish I could tell them how much he misses them!” thought little Sahir. “Why do adults not care for their parents anymore? I will never leave my Mum and Dad alone like this. They will become sad, just like my Uncle Arnold.”
The little boy hugged Uncle Arnold and said to him, “I love you Uncle. I miss my grandfather so much and you remind me a lot of him. BE MY GRANDPA, PLEASE!” The old man returned the hug with tears in his eyes and replied, “You really do love me a lot, don’t you, little Sahir? Yes, dear one, I will be your grandpa. Thank you for choosing me. You have made me very, very happy indeed.”
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Hi Googlies, 7/7/10
Praise Jesus! Thank you Mama Mary!
We attended our first home schooling meeting on 4th. It was a lovely outing and we met new faces as well as the oldies Valyana’s kids (they are in States), Maria & her kids, Milagres & family, Joshila & Benjamin, and Michael & family. We were at Lewis & Zenita’s palce in Verna. Their eldest Son Luke celebrated his 9th? bday so we sang for him as well. The meeting was very informative; got many doubts cleared. Have decided to home school but need Glenn to say Yes as well. The only fear right now for him is will the kids be able to support themselves in the end. I think that is up to God to provide for them and if they follow him, giving up all they possess including their intellect and ambitions, He will do what is required. It is easy to preach Jesus but difficult to actually leave all to follow Him. I would like to reach that poverty level where I have to depend entirely on Him for everything esp. how and what to teach the children, and to keep my focus on God and not on the world. A great challenge but I love challenges! Please pray for Glenn to also get this courage and plunge in. Without his Yes, I cannot proceed. I would love to take the kids out right now but it will have to be next year or Kirsten will get upset. Let him clear his papers and the CET exams before I take the plunge.
We started storytelling in the night before sleeping. Aaron likes it but Nathan and Baby get easily distracted and distract everyone else. I think I should get Aaron to read first to calm them down. I let them choose a book from the Lion Story Bible series which are written for small kids. Must search for Catholic stories on the net. But when it si in a book with pics they get more excited. Aaron tries to write like me now. Yday he even did illustrations for his stories. Nathan will be my clown; he is forever doing headstands and somersaults. Charis Ann loves to jump onto anyone’s back and ride them like a horse. Nowadays Aaron is her favourite ‘horsey’.
One of the parents who has started home school for his daughter sent me a Times of India Article on a IIT topper who was home schooled. Posting it here for you guys to read.
Chalo tehn. Bye and do send in posts so we can communicate.
From the heart,
Auriel.
TOI Article:
BRAVEHEARTS It began with a simple wish to give an extended childhood to their children. Meet Ruchi and Tapeshwar Kumar Kaushik who decided to break the mould and start home schooling their children, Saras and Sahal. Last month,14-year-old Sahal Kaushik, gave all his parents' critics a fitting reply by becoming the youngest ever Delhi region topper in the IIT JEE exams and also bagging 33rd rank in the country! Vishesh Prakash It all started with a fairly innocuous conversation on their honeymoon, when they were talking about the kind of life they wanted to give their children. And, both Ruchi and Tapeshwar Kumar Kaushik, decided that one thing they wanted for their kids was an extended childhood! When it was actually time to send their children to school, they decided against it, choosing to go in for home schooling instead. Now, in a country like ours, that was akin to challenging the whole social structure. 'How can a child not go to school; 'What will she/he do at home the whole day'; 'How will she learn to interact with the kids' etc They heard no end of these questions from their friends and family. But they stuck to their beliefs and continued with what they believed in. For years they heard all kind of comments and questions thrown at them about how they had robbed their children of their childhood and how they were 'cruel' parents Last month, their 14-year-old son Sahal silenced all his parents' critics by becoming the youngest ever Delhi topper of the tough IIT-JEE. Not just that, he bagged the 33rd rank in the country! Now, what caught the nation's fancy was that Sahal had defied the conventional logic by not attending school (in any form) pretty much till 2006,when he enrolled with a relatively unknown Sangwan Model School, Rohini,to enable him to sit for his 10th standard boards. Then in 2008, he enrolled with Vandana International School, Dwarka, which helped him take his 12 board exams. At the same time he was enrolled at the Narayana Institute to prepare for his IIT-JEE exams. Then, last month he became the toast of the whole nation! Now, that was as big an innovation as it could be in the field of education! Is it possible for a child to study at home and still come out on top in the education 'system' Throw these questions at 49-year-old Col Tapeshwar Kumar Kaushik, who is presently posted in Assam, and he says, "I have always been a firm believer in the doctrine that anything can be learnt at any time. All you need is the right environment and an interest in the subject."Adds, 45-year-old Dr Ruchi Kaushik,who gave up practicing medicine around a decade ago to enable her to home school her two children, "If you decide to do home schooling, then one parent has to be a home maker. You have to give them full time."Not just Sahal, his 12-year-old sister Saras too doesn't go to school and is presently being home schooled by her mother. Ask the mother about the methodology she adopts while teaching her children, she says, "I don't really follow a structure or a curriculum. If you want to do that, you might as well send them to school. We basically go by what we want to read about. Sometimes we might study history for days on end, and at other times just decide to read a novel till we finish it. I don't try and impose on my children as to what they should study. The whole idea is to give them the freedom to choose what they want to study. "And, if that ends up with the child performing a rare feat as Sahal's, well, no one's complaining! Does the achievement of Kaushiks mean that the schooling system is actually an overrated phenomenon? The Kaushiks themselves are quick to deny it. Says Col Kaushik, "No, we don't want to run down the institution of schools. They are a very important part of education systems, especially in a country like ours where the number of students is so huge. "They go on to add that they would just like parents to consider that there is an alternative way of educating your kids. Says Ruchi, "It's a lot of hard work, but very rewarding too. We feel that this is an appropriate way for a child to learn, without having to face pressure of any kind. "Well, that's certainly worth thinking about!
Praise Jesus! Thank you Mama Mary!
We attended our first home schooling meeting on 4th. It was a lovely outing and we met new faces as well as the oldies Valyana’s kids (they are in States), Maria & her kids, Milagres & family, Joshila & Benjamin, and Michael & family. We were at Lewis & Zenita’s palce in Verna. Their eldest Son Luke celebrated his 9th? bday so we sang for him as well. The meeting was very informative; got many doubts cleared. Have decided to home school but need Glenn to say Yes as well. The only fear right now for him is will the kids be able to support themselves in the end. I think that is up to God to provide for them and if they follow him, giving up all they possess including their intellect and ambitions, He will do what is required. It is easy to preach Jesus but difficult to actually leave all to follow Him. I would like to reach that poverty level where I have to depend entirely on Him for everything esp. how and what to teach the children, and to keep my focus on God and not on the world. A great challenge but I love challenges! Please pray for Glenn to also get this courage and plunge in. Without his Yes, I cannot proceed. I would love to take the kids out right now but it will have to be next year or Kirsten will get upset. Let him clear his papers and the CET exams before I take the plunge.
We started storytelling in the night before sleeping. Aaron likes it but Nathan and Baby get easily distracted and distract everyone else. I think I should get Aaron to read first to calm them down. I let them choose a book from the Lion Story Bible series which are written for small kids. Must search for Catholic stories on the net. But when it si in a book with pics they get more excited. Aaron tries to write like me now. Yday he even did illustrations for his stories. Nathan will be my clown; he is forever doing headstands and somersaults. Charis Ann loves to jump onto anyone’s back and ride them like a horse. Nowadays Aaron is her favourite ‘horsey’.
One of the parents who has started home school for his daughter sent me a Times of India Article on a IIT topper who was home schooled. Posting it here for you guys to read.
Chalo tehn. Bye and do send in posts so we can communicate.
From the heart,
Auriel.
TOI Article:
BRAVEHEARTS It began with a simple wish to give an extended childhood to their children. Meet Ruchi and Tapeshwar Kumar Kaushik who decided to break the mould and start home schooling their children, Saras and Sahal. Last month,14-year-old Sahal Kaushik, gave all his parents' critics a fitting reply by becoming the youngest ever Delhi region topper in the IIT JEE exams and also bagging 33rd rank in the country! Vishesh Prakash It all started with a fairly innocuous conversation on their honeymoon, when they were talking about the kind of life they wanted to give their children. And, both Ruchi and Tapeshwar Kumar Kaushik, decided that one thing they wanted for their kids was an extended childhood! When it was actually time to send their children to school, they decided against it, choosing to go in for home schooling instead. Now, in a country like ours, that was akin to challenging the whole social structure. 'How can a child not go to school; 'What will she/he do at home the whole day'; 'How will she learn to interact with the kids' etc They heard no end of these questions from their friends and family. But they stuck to their beliefs and continued with what they believed in. For years they heard all kind of comments and questions thrown at them about how they had robbed their children of their childhood and how they were 'cruel' parents Last month, their 14-year-old son Sahal silenced all his parents' critics by becoming the youngest ever Delhi topper of the tough IIT-JEE. Not just that, he bagged the 33rd rank in the country! Now, what caught the nation's fancy was that Sahal had defied the conventional logic by not attending school (in any form) pretty much till 2006,when he enrolled with a relatively unknown Sangwan Model School, Rohini,to enable him to sit for his 10th standard boards. Then in 2008, he enrolled with Vandana International School, Dwarka, which helped him take his 12 board exams. At the same time he was enrolled at the Narayana Institute to prepare for his IIT-JEE exams. Then, last month he became the toast of the whole nation! Now, that was as big an innovation as it could be in the field of education! Is it possible for a child to study at home and still come out on top in the education 'system' Throw these questions at 49-year-old Col Tapeshwar Kumar Kaushik, who is presently posted in Assam, and he says, "I have always been a firm believer in the doctrine that anything can be learnt at any time. All you need is the right environment and an interest in the subject."Adds, 45-year-old Dr Ruchi Kaushik,who gave up practicing medicine around a decade ago to enable her to home school her two children, "If you decide to do home schooling, then one parent has to be a home maker. You have to give them full time."Not just Sahal, his 12-year-old sister Saras too doesn't go to school and is presently being home schooled by her mother. Ask the mother about the methodology she adopts while teaching her children, she says, "I don't really follow a structure or a curriculum. If you want to do that, you might as well send them to school. We basically go by what we want to read about. Sometimes we might study history for days on end, and at other times just decide to read a novel till we finish it. I don't try and impose on my children as to what they should study. The whole idea is to give them the freedom to choose what they want to study. "And, if that ends up with the child performing a rare feat as Sahal's, well, no one's complaining! Does the achievement of Kaushiks mean that the schooling system is actually an overrated phenomenon? The Kaushiks themselves are quick to deny it. Says Col Kaushik, "No, we don't want to run down the institution of schools. They are a very important part of education systems, especially in a country like ours where the number of students is so huge. "They go on to add that they would just like parents to consider that there is an alternative way of educating your kids. Says Ruchi, "It's a lot of hard work, but very rewarding too. We feel that this is an appropriate way for a child to learn, without having to face pressure of any kind. "Well, that's certainly worth thinking about!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Hi Googlies, 3/7/10
Praise Jesus! Thank you Mama Mary!
Wrote a letter to Herald asking to inform about my status with the middles as they have stopped printing my articles in the fortnightly slot. Today one I sent in June has come but the ones sent in Dec 2009 and Jan-Feb 2010 have not yet come. Altogether 8 are still pending with them. They are - My Little Princess, The Sacrosanct Secretary, Dead Man Listening, Hotline is Busy! Try Later!, How to Get Fat in 10 Days, Madness for Madeira, A Few of My Favourite Things and SMS Mess.
Postin ‘My Ivory Tower Garden’ for you; the unedited version, of course.
Maria, Junior Herald editor, said that Short stories will be stalled for now as no ILLUSTRATOR! I am extremely surprised that they are so disorganized. Why tell someone to write if there is no one to illustrate. And why have a stupid policy of illustrating stories in the first place. Are all stories illustrated? I have so many un-illustrated books written by Enid Blyton in my library cupboard. I think its all hogwash. I’ve sent one story to Navhind Times for Zest which is printed on Sat. and two stories to Young Buzz, a children’s newspaper that invites short stories for writers. Let’s hope they can do my stories justice. Keep praying for this, Sajla. Sahir deserves it; he is such a sweet boy.
I end with a saying “Every new opinion, at its starting, is precisely in a minority of one”.---Thomas Carlyle.
From the heart,
Auriel.
MY IVORY TOWER GARDEN.
The monsoons are soon approaching; perhaps when this goes into print it will be in full spate. The sowing and planting bug has gotten to me too. Like the farmer who sows seed in hope of a fruitful harvest, I have planted my favourite little herbs and shrubs, not in a vast field, but in tiny little pots in the space beyond the grille of my box window.
I feel the same anxiety that the farmer feels when I rush every morning to see if any sapling has shot up from the brown mud. Ah! At last! A chilli sapling peeps out at me from its bed of nutrition and solid foundation. I touch its tender leaves gently, marveling at their beguiling green colour and delicate greenish-white, almost opaque, stem. In my excitement to reap a rich harvest, I have sown too many seeds, I fear, for many more shoot up the next day.
An orange-blossomed ‘abolim’ shrub has survived its transition from a neighbour’s garden to my cosy little pot. I caress as I sing songs to express my love, for it brings back memories of my childhood. Being a city girl, I longed for the annual holidays to Goa, when my cousins and I would collect the flowers from a neighbour’s garden and string abolim garlands. We would then run to a nearby cross and offer them up alongwith a fervent prayer.
A dying lemon grass plant has found its home in my window garden. Its aromatic flavour spices my tea as it refreshes my soul. As does the tulsi shrub that was near-death in the dried-up bed of my Society garden. I do so favour the tulsi as a medicinal herb and an air purifier.
I have sown a handful of coriander seeds in a pot but I do not see any life there yet. I hope and peep, and hope again. The fragrant mogra plant in the Society garden blossomed the other day. I have been plucking a few of its flowers for my altar at home. Some, I place at Mama Mary’s feet as she blesses me with her presence. I had cut off a budding branch of this lovely shrub last week and potted it. Now, in anticipation, I check each part of the slender stem for signs of life and breathe a sigh of relief that, at least, it hasn’t withered away and died yet.
The ‘money plant’ occupies a quiet shady place in the corner of my little garden. As it grows and twines around the grille in my window, it will frame my garden with a natural arch. Some say growing a money plant brings wealth; for me it is enough that it gifts me ample oxygen and adds beauty to my window garden.
My son Aaron has been my source of inspiration; he learnt the skill of potting a plant at summer camp “Mama, I want to plant a sapling” he said to me one fine morning. So we potted our first, a curry leaf sapling. I, who had no time for little pleasures before, have suddenly found a hobby to give me happiness.
The friends in my window garden are good friends – they teach me something new everyday - like hope, patience, joy, disappointment, abundant life. When I talk to them, I hope they listen. When I sing to them, I know they dance. They give me, not just material benefits, but spiritual gifts as well.
I have prepared the compost for ‘friends’ yet to come and collected discarded pots so they can stay with me for a long time. I don’t know as yet which ones they will be; I pick them not for their usefulness or beauty but for my happiness, you see.
Plants need love and quality time just like we do. A renowned scientist, Dr. J.C. Bose, once proved to the world that plants too have feelings. He even recorded those feelings using a device he invented called the crescograph. He showed how delighted plants were to hear soft soothing sounds like that from a violin and how agitated they got when loud screeching music was played, like acid metal rock.
The friends in my window garden have very little space to grow in the concrete jungle I call my home. But I am certain they feel at home with me because I do love them with all my heart. (735 words)
Praise Jesus! Thank you Mama Mary!
Wrote a letter to Herald asking to inform about my status with the middles as they have stopped printing my articles in the fortnightly slot. Today one I sent in June has come but the ones sent in Dec 2009 and Jan-Feb 2010 have not yet come. Altogether 8 are still pending with them. They are - My Little Princess, The Sacrosanct Secretary, Dead Man Listening, Hotline is Busy! Try Later!, How to Get Fat in 10 Days, Madness for Madeira, A Few of My Favourite Things and SMS Mess.
Postin ‘My Ivory Tower Garden’ for you; the unedited version, of course.
Maria, Junior Herald editor, said that Short stories will be stalled for now as no ILLUSTRATOR! I am extremely surprised that they are so disorganized. Why tell someone to write if there is no one to illustrate. And why have a stupid policy of illustrating stories in the first place. Are all stories illustrated? I have so many un-illustrated books written by Enid Blyton in my library cupboard. I think its all hogwash. I’ve sent one story to Navhind Times for Zest which is printed on Sat. and two stories to Young Buzz, a children’s newspaper that invites short stories for writers. Let’s hope they can do my stories justice. Keep praying for this, Sajla. Sahir deserves it; he is such a sweet boy.
I end with a saying “Every new opinion, at its starting, is precisely in a minority of one”.---Thomas Carlyle.
From the heart,
Auriel.
MY IVORY TOWER GARDEN.
The monsoons are soon approaching; perhaps when this goes into print it will be in full spate. The sowing and planting bug has gotten to me too. Like the farmer who sows seed in hope of a fruitful harvest, I have planted my favourite little herbs and shrubs, not in a vast field, but in tiny little pots in the space beyond the grille of my box window.
I feel the same anxiety that the farmer feels when I rush every morning to see if any sapling has shot up from the brown mud. Ah! At last! A chilli sapling peeps out at me from its bed of nutrition and solid foundation. I touch its tender leaves gently, marveling at their beguiling green colour and delicate greenish-white, almost opaque, stem. In my excitement to reap a rich harvest, I have sown too many seeds, I fear, for many more shoot up the next day.
An orange-blossomed ‘abolim’ shrub has survived its transition from a neighbour’s garden to my cosy little pot. I caress as I sing songs to express my love, for it brings back memories of my childhood. Being a city girl, I longed for the annual holidays to Goa, when my cousins and I would collect the flowers from a neighbour’s garden and string abolim garlands. We would then run to a nearby cross and offer them up alongwith a fervent prayer.
A dying lemon grass plant has found its home in my window garden. Its aromatic flavour spices my tea as it refreshes my soul. As does the tulsi shrub that was near-death in the dried-up bed of my Society garden. I do so favour the tulsi as a medicinal herb and an air purifier.
I have sown a handful of coriander seeds in a pot but I do not see any life there yet. I hope and peep, and hope again. The fragrant mogra plant in the Society garden blossomed the other day. I have been plucking a few of its flowers for my altar at home. Some, I place at Mama Mary’s feet as she blesses me with her presence. I had cut off a budding branch of this lovely shrub last week and potted it. Now, in anticipation, I check each part of the slender stem for signs of life and breathe a sigh of relief that, at least, it hasn’t withered away and died yet.
The ‘money plant’ occupies a quiet shady place in the corner of my little garden. As it grows and twines around the grille in my window, it will frame my garden with a natural arch. Some say growing a money plant brings wealth; for me it is enough that it gifts me ample oxygen and adds beauty to my window garden.
My son Aaron has been my source of inspiration; he learnt the skill of potting a plant at summer camp “Mama, I want to plant a sapling” he said to me one fine morning. So we potted our first, a curry leaf sapling. I, who had no time for little pleasures before, have suddenly found a hobby to give me happiness.
The friends in my window garden are good friends – they teach me something new everyday - like hope, patience, joy, disappointment, abundant life. When I talk to them, I hope they listen. When I sing to them, I know they dance. They give me, not just material benefits, but spiritual gifts as well.
I have prepared the compost for ‘friends’ yet to come and collected discarded pots so they can stay with me for a long time. I don’t know as yet which ones they will be; I pick them not for their usefulness or beauty but for my happiness, you see.
Plants need love and quality time just like we do. A renowned scientist, Dr. J.C. Bose, once proved to the world that plants too have feelings. He even recorded those feelings using a device he invented called the crescograph. He showed how delighted plants were to hear soft soothing sounds like that from a violin and how agitated they got when loud screeching music was played, like acid metal rock.
The friends in my window garden have very little space to grow in the concrete jungle I call my home. But I am certain they feel at home with me because I do love them with all my heart. (735 words)
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