Christmas... and the joy of giving!

While the whole of Cebu is excited about the forthcoming Asean Summit and the bright prospects that this event will bring to our beloved Cebu, one should not overlook the real joy that Christmas brings. It is the joy of giving and sharing! There can be no better way to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, than to share one's blessings with the less fortunate and oftentimes, the forgotten ones of this world. When we put up our lanterns, colored lights, our belens and Christmas trees, we do so to remind us that Christmas is a joyous occasion for all of mankind...rich and poor alike. As a travel writer, I would encourage my readers to consider travelling as one's best gift to one's self and the family, but it is my hope that we do so not to escape from the joy of giving and sharing because that is what Christmas is really all about.

At this time, we should be busy making a list of the people we want to share Christmas with. After our family, who comes next? Should it be our business associates, our friends or the person who has no roof on his head or food on the table? Can we truly enjoy Christmas if we see a family gathering scraps from a garbage can? It is not my intention to dampen the spirit of the occasion. Mine is simply a reminder to those who may have overlooked this matter.

Maybe now is the time to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas. Allow me to share with you what I experienced on the first Christmas party that my community organized last Dec. 4. Our group of 60 members of the Bukas Loob sa Diyos community, homestead 2, organized a Christmas party for the members of the Cebu Blind Association from Kinasang-an, Pardo. Our honored guests were families of the blind consisting of 62 persons, ranging from the blind parents to their grandchildren. I could not forget the glow on the children's faces as balloons were brought in to decorate the venue. Imagine how they must have felt when we brought in three (3) roasted pigs aside from the special menu that we prepared for them.

A member brought in her fully decorated christmas tree to the delight of the children who fortunately were not blind, except for one (1) fourteen year old girl. With balloons in hand, the children frolicked freely around the place while we did our regular praise & worship, with no one stopping them. It was their night and we were determined to let them have a jolly good time. When the prayer was over, the members served dinner to their adopted families and distributed bundles of joy and Christmas gifts for every member of the family. During the rest of the evening, the blind rondalla entertained us with Christmas music to the delight of our special guests from Bukas Loob sa Diyos community. Just imagine if this practice were duplicated all over the land? Wouldn't this world be lovelier with more happy faces during this special season called Christmas? For your comments, you can reach me at Delmar Travel & Tours, Inc. tel(034) 2536561and 2536571 or by email at: marilou@delmartravelphils.com.