First Things First

"Mataji... catch her... catch her.... Rajamma was shouting. Mataji went out to look at what was happening. Rajamma was chasing a calf which was running towards the Ashram. Mataji asked Jessy, our cook, to bring some banana peals.... The yellow banana peals made the calf stop near Mataji. The calf ate the banana peals with great relish. By then Rajamma had reached the spot. "Kochu... kalli... "She admonished the calf with motherly tenderness. Caching the calf by the left ear Rajamma dragged it away. "She is running to her mother to drink all the milk. What will I do if she drinks all the milk at this time?. I have to give milk to two families. They have small children...The mothers have no milk in their breasts... Poor children.... They must be fed first.... Yes....or.. No.?." Rajamma asked all of us gathered in front of the Ashram. She did not wait for our answer, and went away dragging the calf by its ear. Rajamma is poor and unlettered. But she has great practical wisdom and a clear sense of priority. She knows what should be her first priority, Rajamma has no children of her own. That was perhaps another reason for her deep concern for the neighbours' children. She has been supplying absolutely pure milk to her neighbours to ensure that their children get the best milk. Many of us lack such a sense of priority. We waste prime time on things of no relevance. We spend the best years of our life on matters that do not count in the long run. One of the most important thing in life is to learn to put first things first. If one can set apart some 'prime time' every day for oneself and one's spouse and children, and to nurture relationships, most of one's problems could be sorted out. But the modern man has no time for himself or his family. He is too busy making more money. “I am too busy driving... I have no time to stop for refuelling my car…,” says the modern busy man...