The Gift

"Api 18th b-day Karla! feb. 14 d b? wow dlaga k n! San kainan?" Marco texted.

"Uy tnx. hehe. regalo mo ha? psaway k!" Karla replied.

Marco candidly answered, "Ha...eh...jejeje metta!"

We always associate gifts with important celebrations: birthday, wedding day, mothers day, fathers day and maybe in the near future we will be celebrating happy embryos or happy zygotes day! And year after year we are always greeting each other and continuously giving and receiving presents to or from our love ones. It's good to rejoice for all the special occasions but aren't we contented for what we have? We have already received the greatest gift we can ever have.

Last Sunday while I was reading a book, I came a cross a phrase that struck my consciousness: the greatest gift. Thinking deeply about it, the three kings from the Bible popped out in my mind. The three kings along with their precious gifts, searched for the newly born Jesus Christ. And there lay baby Jesus on the manger with Mary and Joseph. Setting aside whether the story is authentic or not, I don't take it too superficially. Symbolically, the three gifts they offered to Jesus represents our Life (buhay), our Fellowmen (kapwa), and our inherent capacity to Love (pag-ibig).

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen. This line is the most common that we hear among Catholics in their prayers. The sentence itself embodies the greatest gift we already have and it is sufficient to feed us spiritually. The Father is God as God is Love, the Son is our fellowmen and the Spirit is the Holy Breath that is equivalent to life.

It is good to be contemplative about these things. If we are just fully aware of the gifts we already received since the time of our birth, we will live free from insecurity, full of peace and harmony. It is with this deep respect for life that we bind, seeing the gem within each of us. Just as what the founder of Sikolohiyang Pilipino, Dr. Enriquez once said, "ang kapwa ay sarili rin."

Mutual trust, respect, kindness, empathy and compassion to others is all we need. Having the sense of our profound interconnectedness is the basis for realizing that every living being desires genuine happiness. The Dalai Lama always remind us that,"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."

Buhay. Kapwa. Pag-ibig. It's all we ever need.

Starting Anew

But where was I to start? The world is so vast, I shall start with the country I know best, my own. But my country is so very large. I had better start with my town. But my town, too, is large. I had best start with my street. No: my home. No: my family. Never mind, I shall start with myself.

Elie Wiesel
Souls on Fire

Starting something new is one of the most difficult thing to do for me. I always have doubts from within that hinders me to move forward. A long list of questions and endless excuses fill my mind. Where should I begin? How will I do it? Will I do good? What will others might say about me if I will do this? I'm too busy. I'm tired from work. Maybe the next day I'll be ready, or next week, or next month. How about next year?

It leads to nowhere.

Doubting is natural, but it has to end. The end of all doubts is a state of peacefulness. In taking risks we grow. I am now certain that I shall begin with what my inner whispers are. From what is resonating in my mind, from what my eyes have seen, from what my ears have heard, from my very experiences that I have felt, from what I have realized during the moments of silence of my heart and mind.

In stillness and solitude we clearly see our selves. Let's say there's a basin half-filled with water and you keep stirring it with your hand. Will you see a lucid view of your face as you stir the water in it? Absolutely not. But wait until it become still and you shall see your reflection on it. To seek our true and deepest nature is our purpose in life.

What then is our real nature? Love is the answer my friend. I am Love. You are Love. We are all Love. As Leo Buscaglia puts it, "Universal love is not only possible, it is the most complete love of which we are capable as human beings." Let us not view Love from a narrow perspective and box it in limited categories. Love is all-embracing and the most important thing we can do is to begin NOW.

Let us start anew!