TAKE REST - THIS IS A FORWARD FROM SOMEONE - VERY SENSIBLE - DO NOT KNOW WHO AUTHORED IT

 We had lived through the experience when Ammachi fell ill. 

It was covid time. It was the most difficult time in our lives. The people at the admission counter were rude. We felt they were finding fault with us for bringing Covid to the world.

Once we succeeded in getting over with the long admission process, Ammachi was wheeled straightaway into the ICU. They brusquely told us one bystander alone was permitted. Leaving her daughter there at the lounge, we stood waiting at the courtyard in front of the hospital

After a few days Ammachi was shifted from the ICU to the Payward.

Here the doctors are regimental. Pulmonologist looks after the lungs. Cardiologist looks after the heart. And if we have any complaints apart from their field of specialisation they refer the patient to the appropriate specialist.

Each one would visit and prescribe medicine. The poor invalid bears the brunt of the onslaught of all the specialists. And the medicines. The cost rockets

Two weeks later, the Pulmonologist said the patient would be discharged on that day. 

The patient found herself unable to stand and walk. Two weeks on the bed had weakened her muscles. 

Instead of referring the patient to a physiotherapist at the initial stage, the pulmonologist brought in the specialist when matters went out of hand. 

The patient was looked after well at home. But she remained bedridden. It took a few weeks for her to bid us 'au revoir'

We learned the hard lesson, 'specialisation is harmful' for the sick and the disabled.

TAKE REST - THIS IS A FORWARD FROM SOMEONE WHO IS VERY SENSIBLE

 Realities of Life!

"Take Rest"  

In old age, if a person remains bedridden for a long time and their children keep saying only "Take rest... don't hurry...", that's often where the most dangerous situation begins.

"For an elderly person, lying in bed is easy; but getting up again is extremely difficult. Many times, the illness doesn't kill a person, the bed does."

I am Dr. Song Yuanming, age 54 years.

For the last 27 years, I've been working in the Geriatrics (Old Age Medicine) department of a renowned hospital.

During this time I've treated over 16,000 patients and written more than 2,400 critical condition certificates.

Today I won't use medical terminology. I'll just share three true incidents that happened before my eyes.

All three stories are extremely important for everyone's parents.

First Incident (2019 – Autumn)

Patient: 81-year-old retired teacher Mr. Sun

He had a femoral neck fracture.

Surgery was successful.

On the third day, the doctor said,  

"Start trying to walk with the help of a walker."

But his son said,  

"Dad is so old... what if he falls again? Let him rest."

In the last 27 years, I've heard the words "take rest" at least 500 times.  

And every time I got goosebumps.  

Because for someone over 80, these three words often lead to death.

Mr. Sun listened to his son.  

He stayed in bed.

- Day 7 – Cough started.

- Day 12 – 38.7° fever; CT showed Hypostatic Pneumonia in lungs.

- Day 18 – Admitted to ICU.

- Day 23 – Passed away.

He did not die from the fracture.  

Nor from surgical complications.  

But from pneumonia caused by prolonged bed rest.

The bone healed...  

But the lungs failed because of the bed.

Second Incident (January 2021)

Patient: 78-year-old stroke patient – Mr. Li

After ten days his condition stabilized.

I told his daughter,  

"Now the most important thing is rehabilitation."

- Sit him up at least twice a day.

- 30 minutes each time.

- If possible, make him stand.

- Walk him a little.

The daughter was very devoted.  

She hired a 24-hour caretaker.  

Food, medicines, bath, diapers...  

Everything was perfect.

But one thing didn't happen...  

He was never moved.

She was scared—  

It will hurt...  

He'll get tired...  

He'll fall...

When the caretaker tried to sit him up, she'd say—  

"Don't force him... let him rest."

Three months later...  

His other leg also became non-functional.

This was not a second stroke.  

It was Muscle Atrophy (rapid weakening of muscles).

With prolonged bed rest—  

- 1.5 to 3% of muscle is lost every week.

- Nearly 40% muscle is lost in three months.

Result—  

Hemiplegia → Complete paralysis  

"Can still stand" 

Later. 

"Will never be able to stand again."

He lived for another 14 months.  

During this time he developed three bedsores.  

The largest wound was so deep that the bone was visible.  

While dressing, he would grip the towel tightly to bear the pain...  

Tears would flow from his eyes.

Every time the daughter would cry and say—  

"Dad... take rest..."

These words...  

The softest...  

But proved to be the cruelest.

Third Incident (2023)

Patient: 83-year-old Mr. Zhao  

Had hip replacement surgery.

His son was an engineer.  

On the second day he came to me with a notebook.  

"Doctor, please write a 7-day rehab program."

I made a plan—  

- Day 1 – Ankle exercises (20 times every hour)

- Day 2 – Leg raises (10 × 4)

- Day 3 – Stand for 2 minutes with walker

- Day 5 – Walk 10 steps (4 times)

- Day 7 – Walk 8 meters

Did he feel pain?  

Yes.  

On the third day while standing, there was sweat on his forehead...  

His lips had turned white.

But his son did not say—  

"Take rest."

He just said—  

"Dad... just stand for 30 seconds... I've set the timer."

Just 30 seconds...  

He clenched his teeth and completed it.  

And those 30 seconds became the most effective medicine of his life.

On the 14th day...  

He walked out of the ward on his own feet.  

Slowly...  

But on his own feet.

Among 184 patients that year, his recovery was the best.

5 Lessons Learned from 27 Years of Experience

1. Staying in bed for more than two weeks = rapid muscle loss.  

   Bed is not rest...  

   It can be the beginning of destruction.

2. The first 72 hours are the 'Golden Period'.  

   Whether movement starts in this time or not decides the rest of life.

3. The three most dangerous things  

   - Pneumonia  

   - Blood Clots  

   - Bedsores  

   These often prove more fatal than the original illness.

4. Wrong kind of service  

   Doing every single task for the patient...  

   Can make them more disabled.

5. True service means...  

   Trying to get them back on their feet.  

   Even if you have to be a little strict for it sometimes.

Final Message

I was asked—  

"What are you most afraid of?"

I replied—  

"I'm not afraid of serious illness."  

"I'm afraid when someone says— 'Take rest.'"  

Because in that moment...  

The will to try is already gone.

I've told my family too—  

"If I'm ever bedridden... never tell me 'take rest.'"  

"Wake me up... make me walk... set a timer... and say—  

'Dad... just 30 more seconds!'"

For All of Us

May God ensure such a time never comes for our parents.  

But if it does—  

Don't say "take rest".  

Say "I'll help you stand up."

Maybe those 30 seconds...  

Could change their entire life.

Because...  

Walking to the toilet on your own feet—  

Is the most precious freedom in old age.

Preserve it... starting today. 

SPORTS DAY AT ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE

 

Immanuel Thomas had submitted a request for the grant of Rs.12000.00 for conducting the annual sports day events at the college with an authorisation from the Principal.

I work there as its Accounts Officer.

But to my consternation I found the request erroneous.

Financial instruments require the signature of the Principal at the institution.

Finally a cheque was issued for the amount sought.

I submitted a report to the Principal in the evening.

Alex Kurien

"I do not know if you have noticed the alteration Immanuel  made in the request for Rs.12000.00

There was no head or tail in the final sentence.

I called him. He sat in front of me. I explained the oddity.

I asked him to tell me in Malayalam what he had meant by that sentence.

It was perfect. I asked him to write that down. 

Then I asked him to write its translation underneath.

Initially he said it was difficult. I encouraged him to try.

He wrote in English. I saw him fumbling with the final part. I understood it was beyond him. I filled that in for him. He wrote. The translation was perfect. All this was done in his own notebook. 

I asked him to strike out the last two lines in the request and copy what he had in his notebook there.

It looked very good..

He said he would remember this episode in his future life.

I replied I could easily have paid it off and carried on with my work -  there was a lengthy report  - 20 pages draft typed by the typist to finalise and the Times of India of 14 August 2026, I couldn’t read in the morning at home as I had  woken up a little late  - but I couldn't do that because I thought I'd then be failing in my mission and vision.

If you can't set right someone who doesn't know, there is no meaning in our existence.

Immanuel went away, perhaps cursing me or thanking me. 

But if we use the terms before and after, I believe he'll be an altered personality after the gruelling or refreshing time he had with me today.

The casualty was I could read the TOI only now.

It's folio 8 is wonderful.

A lesson in what happens  when serious matters are disposed off casually.

In 1947 it caused one million deaths.

Gandhi's vision too is there

Please don't miss the folio 8 of TOI 14.8.26

Regards
Alex Kurien

WHEN EXTRANEOUS CONSIDERATIONS OVERTURN MERIT

 

When a Corporate entity had a vacancy  as MD & CEO there was Mathew Zacharia, a highly competent and well qualified official  to assume its leadership. Of course, there were many who had been vying for the position. The Board left the final decision to the Chairman. 

But against everyone's expectation the Chairman ignored Mathew Zacharia and placed the mantle on someone less talented.  

The employees were aghast.

Samuel George, a senior official commented, "It was a wrong choice. It was dirty politics that had pushed aside the claims of the right candidate. The Chairman had certainly erred in his judgement for obvious reasons. However the one who was the victim hadn't really lost.  The loser is the organisation."    

Naturally, Mathew Zacharia was devastated.  It took time for the wound to heal. 

Samuel wrote to Mathew Zacharia. They were good friends. 

"I find it extremely difficult to absorb the shock. I can understand how you feel. 

Let me add something more                                                                                                        

God knows what He is doing                                                                                                        I have witnessed this in my whole life. He puts you through paces that we abhor. But He doesn't retract. He knows what He is doing. When the table is turned enabling us to reach  heights we perceive is beyond us we learn God had put us through the heavy lifting and hard grinding to equip us take on the challenges without blinking our eyes.                                        He sustains us.                                                                                                                              We grow in stature                                                                                                                      In Christ we become much more than we would ever have been.                                                Because Christ is in us.                                                                                                            Remember in the Mahabharata, both Arjun and Duryodhan had approached Krishna for support. Duryodhan took the troops. He was happy. Arjun was happy Krishna was with him and the Pandavas.                                                                                                                        I hope the message is clear  

Regards
Samuel                                                                                             

                                                                                                                  …

St. Andrew’s Church, Bangalore Restoration of 156 years old Parish Hall

 Network Leadership: A parish case study

 We are talking about an ‘empirical turn,’ in social sciences.

·       Parish case study at St. Andrew’s Church, Bangalore. A church with over 160 years of history, located in the central business district (CBD) with over 850 families, drawn from different walks of life.

 The story of a parish hall, 156 years old.

Our parish hall had stood since the 1860s. Restoring it was on paper, beyond us. The specialist work alone would have consumed years on budget.

What made it possible was not a grant. It was a network.

A heritage structure recovered without a single paid consultant- carried by volunteers from inside and outside the congregation.

1.      Map the gifts

2.      Invite, don’t recruit

3.      Hand over real authority

4.      Open the circle wider

Who stepped in:

·         Architects

·         Structural engineers

·         Management professionals

·         Chartered accountants

·         Craftsmen

·         Friends of other faiths

 

What makes the network hold

Four habits that sustain:

1.      Know your people

2.      Give real authority

3.      Keep the door open

4.      Be transparent

 The pictures after restoration are presented

Rev. Prof. Dr Dexter S. Maben                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            At The Kerala United Theological Seminary (KUTS)

Kannammoola, Thiruvananthapuram

 

Rev Dr Jacob Verghis Centre for Biblical Studies

Workshop on Christian Leadership

10^th & 11^th August 2026

 

 

THINK SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE EXPENDING RESOURCES IN THE CHURCH

 

I had been granted a few minutes to interact with the head of a Church. 

After the quick exchange of pleasantries I made my presentation 

"I felt you had to know

Basically I am a professional. Banker. Financier..

What I have observed in the Church is, no one bothers about ROI - Return on Investment or ROE - Return on Expenditure.

They go for fancy projects because of ignorance or a detestable human trait - self gratification. 

Resources are precious. Hard to source. You have to think several times before expending it. 

In many Churches or church related institutions leakage of income is never plugged.              They mask it with the beautiful and respectful word 'Grace.'

In  the church we have everything. Material resources, highly talented faithful.   

But we relish mismanagement. 

Jesus's parable on talents comes up here.

If only we lend our ears to it miracles would cascade.

My point is simple.                                                                                                                        

We must go for maximizing the utilisation of avaliable resources right in front of us.

The adage, "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush," reminds us why things go wrong.

I concluded.

Regret, I took up so much of your precious time.

I was only unfolding the torment within. 

Because I am concerned"

CREATIVE INTELLIGENCE TAKES YOU FAR

 

Think of your people.

The question is, are you deploying or developing them?

This is the question for every leader.

The answer decides whether you deserve to be in business.

You have to be the teacher, mentor or partner

Nurture with collaboration those who join up with you

Please grasp, real freedom is found in sharing the same platform

You have to amplify opportunities, resilence and growth for generations to come.

Teach them, they need creative intelligence to go far

You must support the people in their growth

Representing KUTS or your own organisation is not to be taken lightly

It's a moment you will cherish for the rest of your life

Ultimately, moments like those become shared memories

To be savoured

And cherished forever

Sequel to TRIPLE KNOT - Muppiricharadu - posted on August 5, 2026

 As I had been busy for almost a week I could begin anew from Folio 18 only yesterday. Each page memerised me. I went on uninterrupted. At last I reached the conclusion at Folio 122. There was pathos. There was ethos. One could see the sharp build up of emotions that swayed you.

The author, Rosy Philip, has done a great job of picturising the Syrian Christian family of the  1950-1990 era. But she has not confined it to one community alone. Through Vinayan she has thrown open what happens in another community as well. Though human beings have good traits, she shows us the other side of the coin as well. 

It's a good read where you can't put it down without finishing it.

The story is indeed touching. It relates to what happened in several households around us in the 1950s to 1990s.

Male chauvinism is explicit. Women have no identity whatsoever even if they are employed and earn a decent income. They are mere playthings for the opposite gender.

The translation is excellent. It doesn't look like a translation at all. It seemed it was the original itself. Chandrika has done a wonderful job. She weaves the story through incidents that look real.The sentences are crisp. The language employed is stylish. The description of nature leaves us in rapture. The rains, the mist, the moss and the mildew - we feel we are directly confronting them. The view of the Elenjical House in its splendour and its lost glory stuns us. The diction is rich. I could learn a few words from the novel. 

Vinayan, Zachariah, Sr Nirmala -Nimmy, Ranjit, Mariachechi, Annammachedathi, Ranjit,  Mother-Auntie, Mother-Stern, Fr.David, Babychayan, Jameskutty, Aby and Mili - it's a long list of characters who play their part well. They are embedded in our mind. 

Sara and her mother in law are a pair we can't ever forget. 

Ammachi's words echoes in Sara's mind forever.

"Don't let him beat you even once. I was not able to stop father. Once started, it will continue."

Sara finds to her horror, the contemptible man hurts a female body only when his senses are overpowered by liquor. He befriends liquor not only to harm, but even to enjoy a female body. 

'Triple Knot' truly is a message to the world at large. It tells us what should be and what should not be...
..........................

John Kurien, former CGM, NABARD critiques

Having read two vivid anecdotes of yours,  after  going through "Muppidicharadu,"  I was transported to the realm of having read the novel itself .

Hats off for the review or let me say factual appreciation of the arduous  task of a translation which you have considered as equal to the original.