Let’s have a quiet and peaceful Christmas

Today, we mark the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, born to his mother and father in a modest barnyard in the tiny town of Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago (although religious scholars admit that the date is not exact). This is usually a very joyous holiday filled with food, merriment, and family. For our family, especially my granddaughter Isabella, another Christmas together is another milestone and something we are all very grateful for.

However, one can’t help but feel that the holidays this year are also tinged with sadness. I mentioned it the other day to my daughter that 2013 was quite a difficult year in many aspects. Granted it was not without its highs of course, but the lows we experienced, especially in the last quarter of 2013 were really very low and shook the country right to its core. Some of what has happened has made us question what type of 2014 we’ll have if things don’t start changing soon.

To be fair, there were problems already happening even before the final quarter of the year set it, but the things that have happened in the past few months have only served to shine an even harsher light on matters that were already very bleak. I think one of the major roadblocks this year was the on-going loss of faith in our government and the dissatisfaction in our leaders. I’m not just talking about the head honcho mind you, but the entire government in general.

The pork barrel scam was not the first scandal of government corruption, but it certainly did paint a clearer picture of just how much money (tax payers’ money at that) is unaccounted for. Citizens, many of whom were already disgruntled to begin with, became even more angry when they realized that their hard earned money was not going back into the country as promised but into lavish parties, expensive cars, and private bank accounts. Not only were they furious, they just continued to get even more upset when they realized just how much of a difference that money could have made in their lives if it was only used properly.

Then of course, Yolanda hit the country and changed things forever. It was not only a storm it was a wide-eyed look at all the things that were not working and needed to be fixed. We saw, maybe for the first time, the real way those in power handle a crisis and we were not only unhappy, we were appalled. What’s more, the world saw it too because the crisis was showcased on a global scale. Delays in aid, political bickering, and just incompetence held up relief efforts that were set into motion almost immediately after the tragedy. What’s more, the entire world stepped up and offered so much of their generosity it just made it that much more horrible that we were stumbling over our own logistics.

Yolanda already marred the holiday season and everyone realized the holidays would be much tempered this year as we condoled with those who had lost everything, including their own lives for some, in the wake of the devastation. Many chose to forego traditional gift giving and opted to donate and help out instead by giving toys to the children in the towns hit, offering food and clothes, or even just giving their time and resources. Groups like Operation Damayan, Oplan Salubong, Hatid, and Trabaho really helped mobilize logistics for survivors coming in from the devastated areas while private groups gave all they could in their own way.

You would think that that would have been the last bad thing to happen this year, but it wasn’t. Statistically, the holidays usually do have the highest crime rate of the year because people tend to become desperate. However, this year really takes the cake when it comes to unfortunate events. With the country still reeling from Yolanda, another set of tragedies occurred one after the other. I am talking about the horrible accident when that bus flew off the Skyway and landed on the service road killing 19 people. That was such a tragic loss of life that could have been avoided. Then of course there was the martilyo gang robbery at SM North Edsa that resulted in the loss of property and yielded some amazing new security ideas including the banning of hammers and caps from malls as safety precautions (seriously?).

The latest in a series of unfortunate events was the terrible shooting at the NAIA 3 airport just last week that claimed the lives of Labangan town Mayor Ukol Talumpa, his wife, two other members of his party, and an innocent 18-month-old boy named Phil Thomas Lirazan. The shooting also resulted in several injuries including a three-year-old little girl who was shot in the head. Words can’t even describe the horror. The airport is incredibly busy during the holidays and so many more could have been killed or injured. What kind of person could just randomly open fire in such a public place and with so little disregard for so many innocent people? My heart weeps for those injured, especially for the parents of those poor children. I hope they get justice and those who were responsible are put behind bars.

Indeed, as I said, it has not been an easy 2013 for our country, especially in the final months. It is my fervent hope that if we just unite together we can ensure that 2014 will be better. It can get really easy to lose hope when faced with bad news coming in one after the other, but we have to remember to stay strong. This is especially true at Christmas time, the time that represents hope and better tomorrows. This holiday season, allow Jesus to remind us that there is always hope and let’s find the strength to rise above the desolation and help others up as well.

I know it’s not an ideal way to end the year, but we can choose how we start the new one. I truly believe that with strength and hope (and not forgetting what has happened mind you, but being determined to make things better) we Filipinos can overcome the recent string of tragedies and come out stronger in the years ahead. So with that in mind, and during this season of hope, I wish you, dear readers a peaceful and blessed Christmas.