To Serve is to Love
Marrianne Liangco - Gomez
Eversince the lockdown, many people have been feeling miserable. Scheduled supermarkets, checkpoints are everywhere, quarantine pass being presented. Tourist spots, places were closed as well as amusement parks, leisure parks, hotels and resorts. The air we breathe has been cleared from ashes and wastes coming from automobiles and factories.
I am not delighted to see people who are suffering from hunger. I sympathize those people who have been suffering of the “no work, no pay” policy. They suffered great hunger not to mention emotional distress, total depression, which are few of many effects of the pandemic we are facing nowadays.
As a government employee, I have been grateful because I receive my monthly salary without delay and even earlier on payroll period or soonest time as possible. I have spent my salaries as wisely as possible, buying only essential things, food , medicines and the like. And I think I had saved much because we only stay at home, no going to malls and other leisure places.
Because of the attitude of prioritizing our needs, the song “we are made for service, to care for all men” has been materialized. The song manifests in the acts of sharing what we can, what we have and what we can do. The feeling of sympathy is not enough to show your care to your fellow.
Our government is very supportive in the distribution of relief goods. Other private institutions are willing to sacrifice their savings to help the needy.
My neighbors were roaming around looking for something to eat or like looking for extra work even temporarily to ease the pain of hunger.
Everytime I ride on a tri-wheeler, I usually give beyond what is the regular fare and when I buy grocery items, I give them some goods to make them feel important as well.
You need not be wealthy to help other people. Any simplest way in the humblest mode of helping is already a great opportunity to show your love to your fellows.
I thank God that through this pandemic, I have learned many things. I bagan to reach out and to express myself, to think of others, to be thrifty and most of all to love more my fellowmen and be grateful for all the graces that God has given us.
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The author is Senior Bookkeeper at Dolores National HS, Magalang, Pampanga