Children who grew up in tropical Kerala’s countryside might nostalgically remember a very soothing natural eye balm. As you see in the picture, very cool and balmy drops are formed on tips of the tender roots of ordinary grass that creeps on rustic stone walls. The growing edge, slightly oily, of the exposed roots collect dew drops at night and convert them to a balm. In the mornings children would go out to pick the tiny roots in order to anoint their eyes with the cool drops. Some children who are too sensitive to pluck the little roots would bow down, bring their eyes close to the grass and get them anointed. Imagine the starry eyes of the cute little ones being gently stroked by the tender, refreshing grass roots soaked in balmy drops of dew. It was glorious!
This intimate touch with nature brightens up not only our outer eyes, but also the inner ones. These sparkling dew drops are formed in the misty silence of deep and dark nights. The humble grass roots know how to befriend them in the same silence. To be anointed by them is to be initiated into still deeper layers of reality.
Our online school children, with bleary eyes locked down to digital screens desperately need this refreshing stroke of nature. Will we ever care to keep the atmosphere free from all pollution so that our kids will still find some balmy drops at the ‘grass roots level’ in all purity and freshness?
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