Christmas is Just Around the Corner

The count down usually starts on October. At present, it is 23 days (December 2) until Christmas day. Every year, people tend to hush to the malls to buy something special to their loved ones on this Season's Greetings. But, due to the times where we tend to buy more on food than clothes, gadgets, accessories or something like gifts or token.

There are plenty of products and merchandise in the market to buy. 13th month pay has been received and if the management is generous, they will also provide the Christmas bonus. However, in this crisis times, well, only prayers will do so that our necessities will not sky rock of their prices due to the Christmas season.

In this modern age of connecting people across the globe because of the high technology such as internet, cellphones, iPods, laptops, note pad, PSP and other gadgets in which ways to communicate with people. This is the time to connect and share the blessings of remembering people that which we have touched our lives.

However, this generations does not know how to connect physically. I mean they connect virtually. They tend to shield their true feelings and emotions to the people they love or people have changed. I will give you an example, a family weekend is having their bonding time together. The father is busy with his laptop responding on his business. The mother is busy talking with her cellphone. The son is playing with his PSP and the daughter is listening with her iPod. This is a very typical day for them, their so-called bonding time. No wonder that reunions are very different in connecting with our family, relatives and friends these days. The children do not know how to socialized with out their gadgets around. How sad.

This season is the time for family and for the children. Sharing our blessings and giving a child such happiness that money cannot buy which is love. The elders should be an example for them so that they will still continue the traditions. When I was teaching then, I kept reminding my students to encourage their parents or guardians or elders to go to mass or worship. It is just a once a week happening that is a thanksgiving of blessings within the week. The only difference is that the children will be the ones to encourage until before that the parents were encouraging their children to attend mass or worship.

I would like to welcome the OFWs or the Overseas Filipinos Workers who arrived and still to come. Please bare with our airport employees because they are having their usual problems. Thus, the long line in the immigration counter. To the foreigners who are experiencing the long lines especially waiting for your luggages, Filipinos tend to have 5 balikbayan boxes including their huge luggages as tokens for their family, relatives and friends. It is part of our culture not just in this festive season but all year round.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all. May the new year give each one of us the blessings and joy to all. Christmas is just around the corner, when you sleep and then wake up there is a wonder gift that Santa Claus will give and that is a wonderful life ahead. Season's Greetings.