Rizal Day 2020

 Padre Damaso in our Midst

Jose Rizal wrote the novel, "Noli Me Tangere", in 1887 but its significance is undeniable in these trying times. Originally written in Spanish, the novel narrated the travails of the people under the Spanish friars and a foreign government. But the striking similarities of the characters with our current set of public officials have proven that the novel prophesied the hardships and injustices that the Filipinos would suffer under their own leaders (with the influence of a foreign power).

I should like to focus on Padre Damaso and its archetypes. Without a doubt, Padre Damaso or Damaso Verdoglasgas is an accurate prototype of abusive power. He is a friar or priest who is known for his sharp tongue and harsh rhetoric as well as his penchant for chattiness. As the story goes, he has been in the country for two decades and has fathered Maria Clara by raping her mother, Pia Alba. He considers the Indios as his servants which provides him an opportunity to treat them with disrespect and hatred. Undeniably, there are a number of men (and women) who embody his characteristics.

Who is Padre Damaso today? Your insight is as good as mine.

Your Laughter

 Your laughter

the sound of your laughter gladdens the heart

of someone who longs to bask in it

it's as if a string of melodic notes

have escaped from your soul

reaching out to me

clasping my esse

caressing my mind

merging my melody into yours.

Being you

 Being you

every beat resonates

to the rhythm of your name

like a soft whisper

that ever lingers on my lips

every smile is a captured image

of a glorious moment

that causes much delight!

Looking into our Heart at Christmas

 What fuels our excitement these days? Do we still feel the spirit of Christmas amid this pandemic and the spate of killings in the country? The happenings around us might be disheartening, but let's not lose that joie de vivre especially during this festive and joyous season when we commemorate the birth of Jesus.

So, if you’re like me who knows that getting excited to celebrate Christmas means waking up early these days, even before the alarm goes off, to have coffee and to switch on the lights on the tree and the garland, then the most awaited season of the year is, indeed, just around the corner. How do we celebrate the season then? Aside from the usual gatherings around the Noche Buena tables with our families which is followed by the unwrapping of gifts, having alone time can benefit our inner lives more than the satisfaction that comes from what we receive. This personal tradition may signal our annual renewal in which the spirit of the season enables us to go home, not to the physical kind, but to the one inside: our sweet hearts. Surely, it can sometimes be burdened by the troubles of life. Like this year, there's the pandemic, the typhoons, the spate of killings, the toxic political atmosphere in the national government, and the obvious difficulties that every person in the country experiences, and even though we may have our personal struggles, performing this spiritual cleanse may help us cope with what lies ahead.

Every Christmas season is a chance for us to renew our faith in a Higher Power that has been watching over us and our families, providing protection and means in any occasion, and keeping the bond within the family strong even when we are apart. This is the time that we may also reimagine ourselves. We may shed off the old ways of thinking, and of behaving and dealing with others that do not help in strengthening our relationships. As we try to reflect on what we find unsustainable, we may begin to create resolutions that will help us thrive for another year, expecting the unexpected and being ready for it. This ritual may also allow us to appreciate our strengths and to fortify our foundations where ever we may be. As often as possible, we need to practice kindness, generosity, empathy, and service without expecting any in return. Let’s consider this as our contribution to humanity. We may not even want to engage in idle talks or to discuss other people and their frailties. Let’s rather love them by letting them be and staying out of their way if we’re not comfortable with them. In this way, we get to protect our own energy from being contaminated, hence, we have enough of it to go around and nurture our relationships with the precious people in our lives.

Her Radical Heart

 

This is not fiction or a tall tale. This story happened to her in 2016 in a Muslim country where she worked as an ESL teacher in a government college when in one opportune moment she was asked this question: "Are you their savior?"

At that time, there was a problem with the salaries of the maintenance staff, you know, the ones who cleaned the entire campus, tended to the gardens, and repaired the facilities on a daily basis. Those men came from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India, and were hired as manual laborers. They lived in one of the houses on campus.

It was the season of Ramadhan when that crisis happened. Prayers and fasting were observed, as Christians and those who came from other religious backgrounds were enjoined to observe fasting as well, which meant no canteens. Lunch was confined in the faculty lounge, and drinking of water was done discreetly so as not to be seen by Muslim colleagues. You see, fasting in the Muslim world meant no food and water. Even the swallowing of saliva wasn't allowed. But in the evenings, after the night prayers, there was the breaking of the fast as they feasted on their favorite dishes until before the dawn prayers were said.

So, what did she do to merit that question? She donated a very small amount of money and food to those men just so they could have their feast after a fast. Her contribution was only a small part of the effort of the faculty to help those men, but what set her apart was that she was the one who brought the food after cooking them. She probably did it twice or thrice with a Filipino friend who drove her to the campus. Such actuation was questioned on the basis of her gender and that daring move to reach out to those who had nothing at that time, who were men.

But why did they use the word savior? She didn't have any intention to save those men from their general predicament. She merely wanted to help, as a Christian, as a Muslim, or as anyone would do. Perhaps, they haven't had any experience of an empowered woman extending help to men.

Moreso, she didn't want to put a political spin on this, but being called a savior was a compliment (to her, at least) because she saved one or two nights of the breaking of the fast no matter how simple her preparation was for she imagined the hunger and thirst they felt after fasting for 16 hours straight that to deprive them of their food would be insanely inhuman and unChristian. She helped those men because they were the people that she saw on campus (that seemed helpless) when she arrived in the morning, during the teaching hours, and when she left at the end of the day. It didn't matter that they were not Filipinos or women (Most of the local women could not be seen in public.), as long as they needed help.

She was radical like that, and too often, people (especially those that come from conservative and different cultural backgrounds) would misunderstand her without knowing the underlying reasons for her actions.

Did she care at all for their feedback? Nope. She was unapologetic, as always, for all the good that she could do in this life. Interestingly, people may hurt her, but when she has set her heart to help those who badly needed it, you should expect her to definitely come through.

Removing Clutter and Renewing Positive Energy

 

Throw out the old to give space to the new. This has always been a meaningful mantra every year, specifically every 31st of December, to clear out stuff that is no longer needed. Of course, this decluttering process usually starts in October when the thought of Christmas draws near. An inventory of closets, drawers, and wardrobe to let go of clothes and shoes that haven't been worn for the past year is usually the beginning of a three-month process. The shelves of books and materials that are no longer read come next. The last to go is the mementos from travels and events. This part allows one to recall what each object memorializes so those that evoke unpleasant memories are definitely the first ones to be let go. This decluttering of old stuff isn't only limited to material belongings as one usually tries to remember the event that each object is associated with. When it elicits negativity, it is immediately removed to replace it with another that elicits happy moments.

The opposite of decluttering, hoarding, is somehow a nasty habit that needs be to shed off after one realizes that the spaces in life have to be devoid of non-essentials that gather dust and cobwebs year after year. Once this is established, receiving and accepting of new stuff, ideas, emotions, and moments come easily and pleasantly. An annual ritual like this has been refreshing and enabling the renewal of mind and spirit.

2020

 2020 is about to end, and with it is the experience that has generally been described as a cacophony of events that rendered the year challenging, exhausting, and draining. However, there is a silver lining. I learned to love and care more for the people within my family and friendship circles. I came to a realization that life is fragile and moments are fleeting, so I need to seize every second to live fully and help other people to do the same. I practiced being more empathic and patient with the slow movement of time as I wait for lockdowns and quarantine measures to finally release me from the seemingly endless isolation from all the people and the activities that I cherish. Even the plans that were canceled and that seemed to be farfetched have slowly been revived now and might even be revisited as I move forward in anticipation of a new year sans insurmountable challenges that affect even my most positive mindset and outlook.

This year is, by far, the most difficult. I am alone in a city that I've not familiarized myself with since coming here. By alone, I mean, I have no immediate family members to share this social segregation with as I face threats to my health and personal wellbeing.

But in spite of the pandemic, flooding, and the subsequent difficulties that besieged the country, I witnessed the spirit of community and cooperation among the people. The Filipinos have always been known to exhibit this behavior every time there is a calamity. That is the reason that nothing and no one can break the spirit of a people that rise stronger from every tragedy. However, I hope that many of these calamities will be avoided with proper disaster prevention planning. With the current technology, there are various means to prevent the disastrous results of typhoons and earthquakes, and many other unexpected natural crises.

Empathy in a Pandemic and Every day

 There is power in empathy and that power resides in each one of us. At this time when the COVID-19 infections continue to surge nationwide, we each have the duty to prevent its spread by being circumspect in our behaviors. This alone can save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives while we are waiting for the vaccine to be approved in our country. So, if we want to really help in curbing the pandemic, we might want to start thinking of how our behavior may impact our loved ones and other people. Let's put ourselves in the shoes of the senior citizens, those who have comorbidities, and the young ones in our immediate family circle who are the most vulnerable persons that the virus, once it reaches our own homes, may greatly affect.

This virus is not to be trifled with. I know that there are people who think that a grand conspiracy to implant chips for control is at work here. There are some who feel invincible because they are strong and healthy. There are also those who think that this is only an upgraded flu. However, let us be aware that whatever one may think about this virus, there have been deaths and hospitalizations of thousands upon thousands worldwide. These are not made-up statistics. Perhaps there may be misdiagnoses in some of the cases, but these do not deny the fact that the virus is real and pernicious.

Accordingly, let us use this power of empathy to save, first and foremost, those who are closest to us. Then, let's extend this to others who are outside our family circles. Let's do this now before it's too late.

Empathy

 Quarantined Thoughts

6 December 2020

There is power in empathy and that power resides in each one of us. At this time when the COVID-19 infections continue to surge nationwide, we each have the duty to prevent its spread by being circumspect in our behaviors. This alone can save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives while we are waiting for the vaccine to be approved in our country. 

So, if we want to really help in curbing the pandemic, we might want to start thinking of how our behavior may impact our loved ones and other people. Let's put ourselves in the shoes of the senior citizens, those who have comorbidities, and the young ones in our immediate family circle who are the most vulnerable persons that the virus, once it reaches our own homes, may greatly affect. 

This virus is not to be trifled with. I know that there are people who think that a grand conspiracy to implant chips for control is at work here. There are some who feel invincible because they are strong and healthy.  There are also those who think that this is only an upgraded flu. However, let us be aware that whatever one may think about this virus, there have been deaths and hospitalizations of thousands upon thousands worldwide. These are not made-up statistics. Perhaps there may be misdiagnoses in some of the cases, but these do not deny the fact that the virus is real and pernicious. 

Accordingly, let us use this power of empathy to save, first and foremost, those who are closest to us. Then, let's extend this to others who are outside our family circles. Let's do this now before it's too late. ❤