SHARED THOUGHTS….. 03.02.12
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A tale of a tailor bird.
A li'l Tailor bird had made it’s nest in one of the plants in our balcony-- she had woven the whole nest with so much foresight and love. There were 4 eggs nestled inside & she constantly kept tabs on them- she was so tiny & helpless herself but when it came to her babies --she was so cautious & aggressive--always hovering close by or sitting inside the nest with her beak threateningly poking out of it--could sit & watch the goings on & marvel at the wonder of this li'l mother's instinct.
Her workmanship was amazing, not in terms of technique and architecture but in terms of maternal instinct --she had stitched the nest securely to the leaf using her beak as the needle & some coir, padded it with cotton –reinforced it with some twigs & coir fibres again; if it rained heavily she would bend another leaf in order to serve as an umbrella over her nest, yet she is but smaller than a sparrow--there is indeed some Miracle up there who never ceases to fill us with wonder. Her one aim was to provide the ultimate ‘safe nest’ for her nestlings.
Once the eggs hatched she had to provide them with food. One of the four nestlings was not too strong. The Mother tried her level best to make it learn to fly but somehow the little one failed to learn a skill so necessary for it’s survival.
One fine day the Mother stopped visiting the nest and the weakling.
It somehow slipped out of the nest & after a few futile attempts at surviving this shock, I helped it back into the nest with a spatula—--back into the only world it knew. Maybe the shock of the fall was too much for it’s teeny weeny heart or maybe it’s mission was only to convey some message to us —- it died that night.
Observing the entire ‘drama of life and death’ from the corner sofa in our living room I learnt some valuable lessons.
· One is never too small or too frail to be a good mother—-it is a natural instinct.
· A parent’s heart is truly a large one—she/he gives unconditionally of her/his love & support—so cherish that always.
· Nothing is too good for one’s children—-there is always something more one can do or something better one can offer them.
· A parent can help a child only that much—--after that it is up to the child to learn the skills spread his/her wings and reach for the skies.
· Some of us may fail in many things we do—may be we are here to pass on a message to others---help them to learn from our mistakes.
· Even nature has no patience with the weaker ones. The stronger ones [ physically, mentally, emotionally & morally] are better survivors.
For, bringing a child into this world, apart from being a miracle in itself, nurturing it and helping it to grow to be a good human being, is the most amazing blessing one can truly enjoy.
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Thank you Thangamani, for your keen and patient observation and the lessons this tiny Tailor bird taught the ‘teacher’ in you ; in our present mad rush, there is no time to stand and stare at such small & common events unfolding around us, which are nothing but ‘miracles’ of nature, that no science can duplicate.
“He who wonders, discovers that this in itself is a wonder” - your narration reminded me of this quote I read somewhere..
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Nature offers the best lessons for man to deal with all situations – from the marvels of natural history to the animal kingdom or the plant world. One has to be just observant and patient. One has to be able to see beyond what the eyes behold.
Lessons for survival.
Baby giraffes never go to a business school. But they learn a very
important management lesson early in life. A lesson that all of us would do
well to remember.
The birth of a baby giraffe is quite an earth-shaking event. The baby
falls from its mother’s womb, some eight feet above the ground. It shrivels
up and lies still, too weak to move.
Baby giraffes never go to a business school. But they learn a very
important management lesson early in life. A lesson that all of us would do
well to remember.
The birth of a baby giraffe is quite an earth-shaking event. The baby
falls from its mother’s womb, some eight feet above the ground. It shrivels
up and lies still, too weak to move.
The mother giraffe lovingly lowers her neck to kiss the baby giraffe.
And then something incredible happens. She lifts her long leg and kicks the baby giraffe,
sending it flying up in the air and tumbling down on the ground.
As the baby lies curled up, the mother kicks the baby again and again.
Until the baby giraffe, still trembling and tired, pushes its limbs and for
the first time learns to stand on its feet. Happy to see the baby standing
on its own feet, the mother giraffe comes over and gives it yet another
kick. The baby giraffe falls one more time, but now quickly recovers and
stands up.
As the baby lies curled up, the mother kicks the baby again and again.
Until the baby giraffe, still trembling and tired, pushes its limbs and for
the first time learns to stand on its feet. Happy to see the baby standing
on its own feet, the mother giraffe comes over and gives it yet another
kick. The baby giraffe falls one more time, but now quickly recovers and
stands up.
Mama Giraffe is delighted. She knows that her baby has learnt an
important lesson:
Never mind how hard you fall, always remember to pick yourself up and get
back on your feet.
Why does the mother giraffe do this? She knows that lions and leopards
love giraffe meat. So unless the baby giraffe quickly learns to stand and
run with the pack – it will have no chance of survival.
Most of us though are not quite as lucky as baby giraffes. No one teaches
us to stand up every time we fall. When we fail, when we are down, we just
give up. No one kicks us out of our comfort zone to remind us that to
survive and succeed, we need to learn to get back on our feet.
If you study the lives of successful people though, you will see a
recurring pattern. Were they always successful in all they did? No..
Did success come to them quick and easy? No, You will find that the
common streak running through their lives is their ability to stand up
every time they fall. The ability of the baby giraffe!
The road to success is never an easy one. There are several obstacles,
and you are bound to fall sooner or later. You will hit a road block, you
will taste failure. But success lies in being able to get up every time you
fall.
Thank you Rajan.
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Look as you walk and pass by; pay attention to your heart beats a skip of emotion that’s easy to get by; the eternity of moment that never cheats.
Lara Radovi.
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In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous.
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A man is a very small thing; and the night is very large and full of wonders.
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Everything has its wonders; even darkness and silence; and I learn; whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.
Helen Keller.
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God gives us intelligence to uncover the wonder of nature; without this gift, nothing is possible.
James Clavell.
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Have a safe and enjoyable week end.
MOHANDAS. KP.
