What is a child's age to work?

At what age a child should be allowed to work? Or if a child should be allowed to work at all?

I saw this little girl on the marine drive walk way one evening carefully packing her wares in a card board box. The day’s business was done and she was going home. She was quite business like, methodical, with all the instincts of a survivor in this tough,cruel world. She has no management or marketing degree to earn her bread but she knows how to do it by practical experience. She also knows if she doesn’t sell she will starve for the night.

She must have had a good sale for the day. I can see she was happy. I quietly followed her. She headed straight to a roadside vendor bought something for her to eat. I suppose this is a way of rewarding herself for doing a good job. No one is going to praise her if her earnings are good and neither does she expect it.

Then she happily talked to a lame beggar on the way and they had some good laughs. Then she walked briskly, business like munching what she bought.

She is a little girl of the world and there are millions like her. They have no play time, no education, no comforts and luxuries but just work for survival all the days of their life. In time she will grow up, get married, have children and teach them the same thing- how to survive this tough and difficult world. She will continue to work, have her ups and down, joys and sorrows, trials and tribulations, times of grief and tragedy perhaps more than any one of us and she will bear them very stoically placing her complete trust in God.

Isn’t she doing God’s work on earth in her own simple ways?

MAGIC IN THE SKY

The sky is so ubiquitous that we automatically look at it when we are outdoors.I would like to see the sky in the evenings especially when the sun is setting. As the sun goes down the horizon, it paints the sky with lovely colors and this fills me with a great sense of wonder and awe. Many times I stood mesmerised gazing at the sky for a long time till the darkness sets in. It seems to me that God is showing a glimpse of HIS mighty power and glory.

Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure. Please click on the photos to enlarge.

THE THRILLS OF YOUNGSTERS

It is amazing to see how youngsters know how to enjoy their lives. Even simple things become a source of great entertainment for them. Their innovations, their enthusiasm, their energy, their daring, their excitement is something which is very contagious and always leaves me speechless.

Of course I was also like that when I was young. But some how over a period of time, I lost that child like enthusiasm, thrill and joy over little things. Now I take many things for granted and many things which excited me no longer holds any attraction for me.

Some might say that a person is as old as he thinks. Age is always in the mind. If a person thinks he is young then he is young and if he thinks he is old he is old. I fully agree with this line of thought. But can I do the things that these youngsters are doing? I am sure to break my neck.

A CATHOLIC WEDDING

Since the time of this wedding was clashing with my work, I could not attend the mass. I reached there just after the mass was over. Here are some photos for your viewing pleasure.

The altar of St.Martins Church,Palarivattom,Kochi.
Please click on the photos for a larger view.

The groom had many friends in the clergy and many priestS concelebrated the mass.

The groom is working in Germany and many of his German friends attended the wedding.

The bride and groom posing with the flower girls.

Lighting the traditional lamp.

The guests enjoying the feast.