Resolutions and Promises

Why do we still need to make resolutions and promises if the possibility of making or putting them into flesh is very shallow? It would only be a source of depression and anxiety if we find ourselves deviating from them. Is there really a need to make such things? Is there still goodness in it?

In themselves, resolutions and promises are neither good nor bad. They are indifferent. But, they are essential for us to have a focus and guidelines in life. They could serve as a voice within us that will guide us in discerning what is ought to be done and what is not.

Resolutions and promises could be one of our maps and blueprints in building up our future. They could always remind us of the best possible ways to grow better.

A Haven for Books: A Niche for Communion

In the morning of June 27, 1998, due to a storm, the New Haven River overran its bank and pummeled the small village of Vermont. For the villagers, it was really a disaster. But what really put the villagers of Vermont into the deep abyss of loneliness, according to Chris Bohjalian, a resident of Vermont village and a contributor in Reader’s Digest, was the lost of their village library—a library that used to be the haven most especially for Vermont literature. The loss of their library, according to Bohjalian, had also become the loss of one of their niche for communion.

With the villagers of Vermont, I also believe that library is a treasure. It is a resository of knowledge, wisdom, history, culture, belief, way of life, and most especially, of relationship—be it a reader-book relationship or reader-reader relationship. In connection with this, in our ‘age of internet,’ library still remains as one of the few places that can bring us together.

Given this reality, as readers, how much do we love our libraries? Do we really hunger and thirst for the gift of library to us?

TB: Out of Control

In the article “TB: Out of Control,” of Tan Suat Lian in the Reader’s Digest dated October 1999, he stated that Asia is considered as the tuberculosis (TB) capital of the world. More than a million Asians were diagnosed and were killed by it. It is really an epidemic in most poor countries, e.g. India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, and Philippines. Considered as the number one infectious-disease killer in the world, Lian said that it is caused by a bacterium—the mycobacterium tuberculosis—that is common in poor social environment due to malnutrition and poor ventilation. And though it is curable, Lian wrote that doctors find it out of control due to inadequate health facilities and poor patient compliance.

Put in the Philippine context, I agree that TB is really out of control in our country. It is now considered as one of the country’s worst silent-infectious-disease killers. With my observation, in line with Lian’s thoughts, I really find it hard to control this problem especially with our present situation. First, we have inadequate health facilities. I agree with Lian’s suggestion that we should start upgrading our clinics, equipment and laboratories, and to conduct proper staff training.

The second reason why it’s hard to control TB is poor patient’s compliance. Discipline is also needed in our advocacy against TB. Thus, the patients must also be faithful to their medication.
The advocacy against TB is not only a responsibility of medicine, or a project of the government, or the duty of the patients. The advocacy against TB is a call for consensus. We are all invited to give our share—to battle against it, to control it.

The Beauty of Reading

Television, VCD, DVD, youtube…most of us are very much addicted in watching that we tend to forget and to neglect the beauty of reading. Many of us love instants that we find reading books boring and a waste of time. But what is really there that makes reading beautiful?

Reading is one of the best roads towards learning. It is very much informative and at the same time refreshing and enjoyable. Reading is also a good teacher in a way that it could widen our horizon in terms of insights, vocabulary, grammar, techniques in writing, and the likes. It is also a good tool in harnessing our imagination. Unlike watching, where we are just absorbing images, in reading we will be enhanced and be trained to transform words into flesh in our mind. These are just some of the factors that make reading beautiful, enjoyable, and powerful.

Reading is not a waste of time. It is not a burden. Reading is a journey into the world named LEARNING.

Pray Without Ceasing

Jesus loves us and He is always longing to be with us. He always wants to be in contact with us. He is a God of relationship. Because of this, He gives us means and ways to be in touch with Him and it is through prayer.

To pray is to have an encounter or a date with Jesus for prayer, basically, is relationship. It is the expression of our deep and wonderful love story with the Lord. All of us are invited to enter into this intimate relationship with Him and to submerge ourselves into a meaningful dialogue with Him.

If we also long, hunger, and thirst for His presence, His invitation for us is to pray without ceasing. If we really want to have an encounter with Him, we must learn to stop, to silence ourselves, and to ask for His grace.

Dealing with Depression

Depression or the state of being sad or gloomy is inevitable. It is part of life and it excuses no one.

Each person has his own way of dealing with depression. Some view it as a challenge, an opportunity, while others see it as mere burden. As for me, I view depression as a room for learning. But I cannot also hide the fact that there are times that I just take it as mere burden. During these times, I usually prefer to sleep with it thinking that it would fade when I wake. But, most of the times, it is not that effective. But it somehow helps me control my emotion. Everytime I reach this state, I usually look for someone to talk to. I found this one as my best remedy for depression. It is also through others’ counsel that I find the beauty of depression.

Depression can either be a specter or a blessing. Its shape will very much depend from the point of view of the person who is dealing with it.

The Future of OFWs

Due to poverty, unemployment, underemployment, low wage, etc., many Filipino people choose to go abroad to look for a better job. But, could working abroad really salvage the OFW's family from hunger or would it just be another ghost and burden for their family?

To be an OFW is to be away from one's family. Just for the sake of earning money, a good and deep family relationship is sacrificed. Just imagine a little child whose both parents are working abroad. Yes, they can meet their material needs but, more than that, the child also needs love and affection. Thus, being an OFW cannot guarantee a healthy family. Money cannot buy love, care, affection, and unity. It is still love and presence that solidify a family. Togetherness is still the key for happiness.

In this regard, the government needs to play an important role. They have to offer more job opportunities. For me, this would be the best way to salvage the sacredness of the Filipino family --specially those families of the OFWs.