WELCOME DECEMBER

Welcome to the December 2017 edition of Kauvery Health and Wellness Newsletter

Let us keep the dance of rain our fathers kept and tread our dreams beneath the jungle sky.

– Arna Bontemps, American poet and novelist.

The December rains in Chennai evoke a mixed response in most people including me. On one hand, the sweet earthy smell, the rumbling of thunder, the flashes of lightning and the chorus of raindrops remind us the wonders of Nature. Indian poets and writers across all genres have sung paeans to the magic of monsoon, through the centuries. The pitter-patter of rain drops on the streets or courtyards of homes coaxes one to either dance in the rain, or cuddle-up under a blanket with a cup of piping hot tea in hand and watch the rain-drops form puddles of water.

Yet, it reminds us of the sad dichotomy of what should be and what is. Of how man-made development can overturn nature’s own mechanisms for maintaining order in every season of the year! Gone are the days when one would hear frogs croaking, crickets singing and mushrooms cropping-up along roadsides! They were nature’s housekeeping mechanisms for the wet season. Frogs feast on mosquito larvae and keep dangers like dengue and malaria in check while crickets feast on pest-like plants. And mushrooms?! These janitors in Nature feast on dead or decaying vegetation and keep the surroundings clean.

Today, gardens and parks have given way to concrete jungles, leaving no place for rainwater to soak into the ground, so they just run into drains and sewers. Thankfully, people have begun to question the mad rush for development, the mindless rat-race and the abuse of nature. In their own and small ways, they are trying to make a difference and you can take a leaf or two from them.

While Rainwater harvesting from rooftops is a great way of saving precious water, if possible, have a small open space in your courtyard with a tiny garden. Some rainwater which will fall here can seep into the soil through the garden plants. Nature has given so much to man, so let’s show our gratitude by doing whatever little we can to bring some order into the chaos.

December is also a great time for music lovers and Mylapore locality will be abuzz with music events and the sound of music. November was no less eventful. We had important events like the Spine 360 conclave, details of which can be seen in the link below.

So even as you soak in the humid December air and thank the almighty for a beautiful life, mark your calendars. Take some time off to enjoy music, art, literature and things like that – which make up the real pleasures of human life.