The Quotation of the Week (November 29 - December 5, 2020)

 

A Quotation of Martin Luther King, Jr., on 'darkness and light, and hate and love,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (November 8 - 14, 2020)

 

A quotation of William Shakespeare (1564-1616: English playwright, poet, and actor) 

on 'loving, trusting, and doing no wrong,' and compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Design and handwriting by Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (May 17 - 23, 2020)

Quotations on U.S. President's Leadership 
and Empathy During Times of Crisis and Grief

• “I can think of many presidents whose finest hours included times of mourning. In these and other times, the president binds us as a nation by acknowledging and giving voice to our shared sense of loss, grief and pain and pointing the way to better times ahead. [President Donald] Trump hasn’t shown himself capable of this, in my view.” –David Greenberg (presidential scholar at Rutgers University, USA)

• “It takes a strong man to open his heart. But it also makes a very good and memorable president [who exhibits compassion and empathy].” –Craig Shirley, a Republican operative and President Reagan biographer

• “In virtually all of F.D.R.’s [Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s] talks, he played a pastoral role. He was always empathetic, and even when he was talking about economic dislocation, unemployment, etc., he introduced spiritual notes.” –Susan Dunn, a Williams College professor and author of several books on Roosevelt

• “He [President George W. Bush] was really passionate about connecting with people especially because he took this type of tragedy so personally. He used that passion to express his remorse and sadness, but also to connect with people to make them feel better. He would say it wasn’t about him. It was about the presidency and he wanted to share the presidency with them.” –Eric Draper, the White House photographer who accompanied President George W. Bush

• “In five years of watching him, I’ve never seen [President Donald] Trump display a shred of empathy or grace towards another human being. I’m not sure he has that capacity, at least he’s never shown it in public.” –Jon Favrean, chief speechwriter of President Barack Obama

• “…His [President Donald Trump’s] role should show hope and inspiration, but I think it should show compassion. There are a lot of people that are experiencing a lot of fear, so I do think it has a time and a place.” –David Mangan, one of the survivors of coronavirus, and a pharmaceutical sales representative from Hot Springs, Arkansas

--Quotations compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Source: "Amid a Rising Death Toll, Trump Leaves the Grievieving 

to Others" by Peter Baker, The New York Times (April 30, 2020)

Jean Vanier, Founder of the L'Arche Communities, Dies

Jean Vanier, founder of the L'Arche communities

Photo courtesy: och.fr/

Jean Vanier, a Canadian Catholic philosopher, theologian, and humanitarian-cum-philanthropist, died yesterday, May 7, in Paris, of the thyroid cancer at the ripe age of 90. He was the most ardent advocate for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. He was also the founder of the L'Arche (the ark) communities, where these disabled people live and work in dignity, respect, and love.

Physically a giant of a man with a 6-foot-and-4-inch frame, his heart was full of sympathy, empathy, and love for these disadvantaged people. As a result, he expanded his work of service to these people in 37 countries of the world in different continents.

According to the Globe and Mail newspaper, he wrote 30 books, received numerous awards and honours, was named a Companion of the Order of Canada by the Canadian government, was given the Legion of Honour award in France, and the Templeton Prize in England.

For more on him and his work, please read the following:

• L'Arche founder Jean Vanier dies at 90 (May 7, 2019)
• Jean Vanier, Canadian champion of the developmentally disabled, dead at 90 (May 7, 2019)
• Jean Vanier, Canadian crusader for developmentally disabled, dies (May 7, 2019)
• L'Arche founder Jean Vanier established the unique value of an intellectually disabled life (May 7, 2019)
• Jean Vanier: Founder of L'Arche dies aged 90 (May 7, 2019)
• Jean Vanier (Official Website)
• L'Arche International
• Jean Vanier (Wikipedia)
• The Spirit of Love and Service (An article, by Jean Vanier, published in the September 1997 issue of the monthly 'Liguorian' magazine, U.S.A.)
• A unique quotation of Jean Vanier on loving people
• Quotations of Jean Vanier
• Photos of Jean Vanier
• Videos on Jean Vanier

The Quotation of the Week (April 21 - 27, 2019)

A quotation of Jean Vanier on 'loving people,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Design by Jerome D'Costa

Above photo of Jean Vanier @courtesy of och.fr/

The Quotation of the Week (March 11 - 17, 2018)

A quotation of Jean Vanier on 'love and service,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Image courtesy: The Liguorian (monthly)

The Quotation of the Week (March 6 - 12, 2016)

A quotation of Jarod Kintz on 'vegetables and love,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A collection of zucchini vegetables in Toronto: July 20, 2013) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (January 17 - 23, 2016)

A quotation of Barbara De Angelis on 'anger and love,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A divider inside a Costco store in Scarborough, Toronto: April 1, 2015) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (December 1-7. 2013)

A quotation of Archbishop Theotonius Amal Ganguly, CSC, on 'love and forgiveness,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (Reflection of a camera flash on a TV screen - Toronto: April 5, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (August 11 - 17, 2013)

A quotation of Martin Luther King, Jr. on 'love,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Artwork (A sketch of a hand) © Joachim Romeo D'Costa

The Quotation of the Week (September 16-22, 2012)

A quotation of Martin Luther King Jr. on 'hatred and love,' compiled by Jerome D'Costa

Photo (A rain-drenched car window in Dhaka: Feb. 12, 2012) © Jerome D'Costa

Bangladeshi Teenage Couple Observes Valentine's Day Suicidally

It was February 14, the Valentine’s Day. This is the day to celebrate the love of a couple – married or unmarried. This year, the Valentine’s Day, however, became a Double-D Day (Double-Death Day) for two Bangladeshi teenagers deeply in love.

Soud Sheikh (17) and Mitu Mollah (16) were from two neighbouring villages in Gopalganj Distirct, Bangladesh. Their love, initially secret, grew in intensity and ultimately became public. Parents of the girl, Mitu, became furious and, two months ago, took her to a town 200 kilometres (120 miles) away and forced her into marriage with a man twice her age.

Soud Sheikh was a student in Dhaka city. He returned to his village on February 13 to meet his loved one who had returned to her parents’ house for a few days. On February 14, they climbed a cell-phone tower, tied their hands with a scarf, and made a jump together. Their severely injured bodies were found at the foot of the tower and they died on the way to the local clinic.

Soud had called his brother earlier saying that he and Mitu would commit suicide on the Valentine’s Day so that they might be together in future life.

The local police suspect that these two teenagers must have used their cell-phones to decide on their suicide pact, reports AFP.

Bangladesh, in general, has a conservative attitude towards free mixing and free love between a male and a female. Usually the parents or guardians decide on the arranged marriages. Every year, a remarkable number of lovers commit suicide when their love faces hard challenge and rejection from parents or guardians.

The Quotation of the Week (November 28 - December 4, 2010)

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Photo (Portland, Oregon, USA: 1976) © Jerome D'Costa

Happy Valentine's Day to All!

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Valentine's Day Image
Graphics (Toronto: February 13, 2010) © Joachim Romeo D'Costa

Most of the world observes today as the Valentine's Day as an expression of their love for near and dear ones.

This day first started in Europe and it has an interesting background influenced by the Roman Catholic Church.

Wish you all a happy Valentine's Day!

Elena Desserich Is An Angel: She's Touching Thousand Hearts After Her Death

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Six-year-old Elena Desserich
Photo courtesy: The Toronto Star

One of Elena's drawings with a loving note to her parents and sister

Photo courtesy: The Daily Mail (London)

I first came to know of the powerful story of little Elena Desserich from a feature published in the The Toronto Star. I was moved by the amazing gifts that Elena had before her death from brain cancer in August, 2007. I like to share this story with you.

Keith and Brooke Desserich are originally from Wyoming, USA. Later they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. They had two little daughters -- Elena and Grace (also called Gracie). In 2006, at the age of five, Elena was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. Although the doctor gave her four-and-a-half months to live, she actually lived nine months.

The parents did not want to let Elena know of her serious condition and impending death. Mr. Desserich said: "We didn't want to focus on the cancer, we wanted to focus on being a family and doing all the things that Elena wanted to do."

Somehow Elena came to know of her coming death. Or, it may be that due to her health condition and extra attention and care that she received from all, she herself came to the realization that she would not survive long. There came a time when the cancer spread further and she was unable to talk. After this she furiously wrote small notes, now called love notes, with her beautiful childlike drawings and hid them all from her parents and sister. She sequestered these notes and drawings in nooks and corners, in between pages of books in the house, in bags, clothes, drawers and cupboards. Her parents estimate the number of notes and drawings surpassing 300!

She was beyond her age. She loved her parents, sister, grandparents, and the family dog very much. She wanted to give a surprise to them after her death. She knew that her notes and drawings would surface later one by one and tell them again and again that she loved them so much!

After her death, parents gradually began to find Elena's notes and drawings one by one. By this time, they published a book, Notes Left Behind, with Elena's notes, drawings and a journal that parents were keeping during Elena's last months. The parents also started a foundation in honour of Elena for funding cancer research. The proceeds from the sale of the book as well as other donations will be used by this foundation, named 'The Cure Starts Now Foundation'.

Two examples of her notes are: "I love you mom, dad." "I love you mom, dad, Grace."

What can we learn from the short life of little Elena? Quite a bit! We can learn that --

• Every life is precious, however little it is. Everyone has a potential to contribute something in his or her own way.
  
• A little one also can teach us a lesson or two.
• Having a purpose (goal) + striving with determination = Success.
• Love conquers all.

We wish that little Elena Desserich's legacy live long and let her moving example continue to inspire millions of people.

For more photos of Elena, you may visit The Daily Mail article.

The Poem of the Month (July, 2009): I LOVE YOU

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In my youth, I had written this poem. It was published in Bangla (Bengali) in the Pratibeshi, the national Catholic weekly in Bangladesh, in its March 19, 1972 issue. Here I provide the English rendition of the poem for your poetic enjoyment.

I Love You

By Jerome D'Costa

You are my darling, I love you.
You're my constant companion,
I don't "feel good" without you!

I caress you
Holding your hands. I search for your beauty
In every fold and curve, When you expose your shapely body
In front of me.

You talk so much,
So much so, that you spill all your secrets.
I become forgetful of myself,
I listen to every word of yours
With rapt attention;
You enjoy my intentness,
That's why you tell me
All you have to tell.

Sometimes you make me laugh,
Sometimes you make me cry,
At times you make me titillated,
Other times you make me frightened or thrilled. I can be with you
Leaving all works behind, I can be absorbed with you, Without touching my meals.

Sometimes you speak in prose,
At times in verses,
Other times in hard metaphors. Your figures of speech
Befuddle me.
I take time in decoding your words,
What a joy you receive
In making me such a fool!
But that's how our love
Turns from the deep to the deeper.

When I'm on leave
And go to my rural home,
Or go to some distant location, If I'm, by chance, without your companionship,
I feel "uneasy, awkward."
I become anxious
For hearing from you.

Darling, I love you,
You're so beautiful, so loving --
You're my sweetheart,
My intimate and beloved.

Many wonder aloud: Who are you?
You are none,
But my goddess of wisdom -- a book!

The Photo Meditation of the Month (March, 2009): DOING IT WITH LOVE

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An elderly village lady preparing vegetables for cooking
Photo (Rangamatia Village, Gazipur District, Bangladesh) © Jerome D'Costa

Doing It With Love

This is an elderly Bangladeshi village lady doing her daily chore with intense care, love and attention. She knows from her long experience that whatever she does with love will end in success. She is cutting leafy and other vegetables and chopping potatoes for a tasty curry she will prepare later.

Her pose and gait tell it clearly that she has put her mind and heart into her work. There is nothing that can disturb her. Every cut and every chop acquire a new meaning. All the vegetables are not to be cut in the same fashion -- the size and shape differ according to the type of vegetable she uses and that's the secret of making the items tasty. Her deftness, her skills and her patience go into the work she does. Although she is slow, she is steady. She knows her work will result in happiness of everyone in the family during the meals.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said: "In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love." Yes, doing it with love should be the motto of us all. Only then will that make the doing meaningful, more humane. A real bond then will be created between the doer and the doee.

February 14: The Valentine's Day

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A Valentine's Day image

Graphic Design © Joachim Romeo D'Costa

In the western world, the Valentine's Day (also called Saint Valentine's Day) is a long-standing social tradition. Gradually with the spread of western-type of education, foreign travels, education in western countries, and migrant work, this traditional day is also observed in other parts of the world, including Bangladesh.

On this day lovers demonstrate their love for each other by exchanging Valentine's cards, flowers, sweets including chocolates, and other gifts. Lovers also go to dinners and participate in different entertainments. A red-coloured heart, dove and winged Cupid are the symbols used for the love expressed on the Valentine's day. In English, the word "valentine" came to have two meanings: a person singled out as one's sweetheart on the Valentine's Day, and a greeting card exchanged on this day.

Origin of the Valentine's Day

There are several legends regarding the origin of this day.

According to one legend, Valentinus (in English, Valentine) was a priest in the third century Rome. Emperor Claudius II (214 - 270 AD), thinking that unmarried young men would make better soldiers, forbade married men with wives and children to serve in his army. Valentinus saw injustice in this decree and defied the emperor by secretly performing marriages of young soldiers. When the emperor came to know of this, he ordered him to be killed. The Church then declared him a saint. Later the Valentine's Day came to be observed on February 14, the day of his death.

Another legend has it that, in ancient times, for 800 years, Romans observed the celebration of Lupercalia on February 15. This feast day honoured Lupercus, the god of agriculture and shepherds. On this day young women would leave their names in an earthen pot and young men would draw the names and pair with the girls accordingly and be their sexual companions for the year. Pope Gelasius I was not happy about the pagan sexual emphasis of the festival. He wanted to "christianize" the feast day by transferring it to February 14, the day St. Valentine (in Latin, St. Valentinus) died. The day continued to be an occasion to seek the affections of young women and a tradition of exchanging handwritten messages of admiration grew out.

Whatever the background of this day, young people enthusiastically observe it with vigour and enthusiasm and express their love for their valentines.

Tell us how you observed the Valentine's Day this year.