A Merry Christmas to one and all

Merry Christmas! What better greeting can we give and receive than this? We, the Christian communities, have all the reasons to be merry at this time of the year as we commemorate the birth of the Savior.

Some observers say that the reason why some people are not happy during this time is because they attach the season to material things which is not supposed to be the case.

As such, the presence or lack of these material things affects so much the way they perceive the world and the atmosphere of the season.

So, despite the hardships or the things we had long been longing to possess, still we need to be merry as, for sure, the Creator and the Savior want us to feel that way.

That is, of course, if you believe in the Almighty. Again, Merry Christmas!

*** Speaking of material things, I guess my turn to receive gifts through raffles has already passed. I had my time winning precious items in big Christmas parties tendered by Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, Aboitiz Group of Companies, San Miguel Corp., Sun.Star Cebu and others.

I had my share of the excitement of bringing home big packages, the difficulty of looking for a vehicle to haul them home notwithstanding. Lately, however, had it not been for the giveaways that these companies had prepared so everyone would not go home empty handed, I would have been one of those whom Tagalogs describe as umuwing luhaan.

Well, I must be a hypocrite if I say that I didn’t envy those who had won the handsome prizes in the recent parties. I also turn green and somewhat sad but I just console myself with the thought that I had my share of happiness in the not so distant past and had to also share this with the others.

Call it consuelo de bobo or whatever but it really helps. The feeling, however, immediately dissipates once I get home and use the items that I won before. That’s when I say that life may be cruel and unfair at times but it also has its way of making us feel that life is, after all, still beautiful to enjoy to the fullest.

*** Recently, I had been missing some big events in the metro at this time of the year because I had also been busy helping make my hometown feel the excitement and happiness of the season by activities I helped organize.

Among these are the belen (nativity set) and parol (lantern) making contest that had, so far, helped enliven the plaza in front of the municipal hall. It made me happy watching the barangay folks keep themselves busy mounting the structures and adding items day after day until the deadline.

The response of the participants and the onlooker is overwhelming. “So, this is how it feels,” I said to myself.

Anyway, if at all possible, let’s help spread the joy of the season in whatever way we can, if not personally, at least virtually through the internet and the social media.

*** Jim Acosta, the big boss of Psalmstre Enterprises, brought again to Cebu the company’s latest endorser of New Placenta Soap for Men, Mr. World 2016 first runner-up Fernando Alvarez of Puerto Rico.

Fernando narrated that before they came to Cebu and after working out in a gym, he came across an old woman who was pushing a cart loaded with merchandise she is selling.

He felt pity for the woman who, he thinks, should be at home because of her advanced age. He talked to her for a while and decided to give her the last P200 in his wallet.

Then he proceeded but after a few steps, he turned back. To his surprise, the woman and the cart were no longer there. He felt goosebumps but thought that there could be a message to that encounter especially in this season of giving.

So when we experience the same, don’t hesitate to give. No. I’m not referring to those who climb PUJs supposedly to sing carols with intros that say doing so is much better than stealing or holding up other people.

*** Let’s have some spelling lessons of sorts. I smirked upon hearing the commercial of an alcoholic drink that uses the words “selfie,” “groufie” and the first three letters of the name of the drink plus the “ie” suffix. The root word of selfie is self then the suffix was added thus resulting to selfie.

That makes “groufie” erroneous because the last letter is “p” and the resulting word should be “groupie.” Same with the case of the first three letters of the aforementioned drink’s name with “p” as the last letter.

So… the resulting word should have been “empie” and not “emfie” as the commercial states. Now you know the drink.