Saturday, December 31, 2005

pasasalamat

sa katapusan nitong taon
lubos ang aking pasasalamat
sa dami ng biyayang natanggap
sa kabilia ng mga pagsubok.

pagmamahalan naming mag-asawa
pag-unlad ng mga anak
at pagmamahalan nila sa isa't isa
kalusugan ng mga magulang
at mga nakakatandang kamag-anak
kaligayahang dulot ng pamilya
at ng mga kaibigang tunay
hanapbuhay na matiwasay
mga pagsusulit na nalampasan
pagkakataong makatulong sa iba
pag-asa sa bayan at sa kapwa
pag-alaala at pagbibigay puri sa diyos
kapanatagan ng loob dahil sa kanya.

sa pagsapit ng umaga, at ng bagong taon
laganap ang awa at biyaya ng diyos.

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

gifts

it has been several months now since i realized that we were meant to stay. this country is for us, and we are for this country. i realized that a lot of people have been doing their own little share to make this country better. i was amazed to find out that there are so many various foundations and non-government organizations which have projects here and there to help different marginalized sectors of society. and so there is hope. i would like to believe that there is. if we are staying put, then there should be. i had an intense urge to make this feeling known and encourage others to feel the same.

thus, my gifts for this christmas to some of our good friends, who decided to stay despite the adversities and difficulties of our times, in our place under the sun.

cacao filipina cacao balls from beans grown and processed in batangas
book 12 little things every filipino can do to help our country by alex lacson
shirt printed on it the philippine flag with the words tahanan ng aking lahi

the three things i wanted to impart through these are the real gifts.

cacao balls for support of what is filipino, a great filipino product judged superior to even ghirardelli. and there are still many others.
book for hope and positivism. also for simple concrete things we can do within our capacity to make our country better. it is possible.
shirt for a constant reminder of exactly what it says... that this is our home. that we should love it enough to take care of it, so we can be truly proud of it.

from the book i quote, this stirring realization which pierces deep, that is "our country yearns for love from its people." it is true and it is sad. but it is a challenge too.


Saturday, December 24, 2005

to give and to receive

it truly has been a busy month. christmas season is the busiest for me, preparing for the celebration of the season itself. with all the gift hunting and gift giving, merry-making and socializing... busy, busy, busy... such that i have not had the time to blog for almost a month now.

they say it is not the gift that counts, but the thought. that people give something, even just a text message, or a cheerful greeting to remind one that he or she is being thought of this season, should be enough. the reason for this season expects nothing more but that we remember him and why we celebrate christmas.

as for us, the best would be
to give and not remember that you did
so you do not expect anything in return
and
to receive and not forget that you did
so you are forever grateful.

and i don't mean just in giving gifts, but in anything you do.