Alternative Ways of Celebrating Valentines Day

Love is in the air! February 14 the most a waited day for lovers, couples, girlfriends, boyfriends and the like to give important the relationship they keep over the past years they had shared together. A day where flowers and chocolates in the store are being sold, a day where restaurants and Bars are being full of customers wanted to have a place for candlelight dinner. But the question comes in my mind, do Valentines Day are being made only for those who are in love, couple, lover etc.? My answer is not! Valentines Day are made not just to fill the yearning of this people, but the purpose of Valentines is to show or to give important the universal love which the love of God to us through sacrificial love of Jesus and Mary. Manifest in the love of our parents, siblings, relative and friends and this are alternative ways of celebrating Valentines Day. A family dinner in the house or restaurants is ideal celebration for family this Valentines Day, a simple giving of cards and Flowers or if you don’t have budget words of ‘I LOVE YOU” coming from your mouth is enough to celebrate the Valentines Day. For people who are parents and family not around the best way of celebrating Valentines Day is to have group dating or an out of town gathering. Since I have no girlfriend and my family is not around I celebrated the Valentines Day with an out of town engagement. The glee club which I belong was invited to sing in Kalsangi Club in Dole Philippines, Polomolok. The whole member was excited to hear the news. The two weeks preparation that causes short sleeps was replace by a great experienced we had in Kalsangi. We are all excited because at last we will be bonding with the alumni of the club which we are all miss since they had graduated and separate from the club. Long talks, sharings, laughing and reminiscing the past while in our way to Kalsangi is what everyone treasured. It add to the experience the very successful performance we had in Kalsangi that audience hold there claps for about 20 seconds just to express there appreciation. The show was about to finished where everybody take all photos from every corner of the Clubhouse, wearing smiles and funny pausing. After the performance the celebration was continued inside the quarter that every body fined the place like a five Star hotel. When the night continued to cover by its darkness, the talks sharing and laughing also continued covered the atmosphere of the house over the bottled of beer, vodka and Brandy. It was an unforgettable Valentine celebration that happened in my life. Indeed, Valentines Day is everyone’s day young (ones and old ones) expressing the universal love given by our God to the mankind.

Three Hopes in this an Added Life to Live

Life is a gift received from God. Putting another years on it is a thanksgiving that everyone should posses. We are called not to be a destroyer of this gift, but instead encourage to become a defender of this grace. Every year we come to certain point that we look as life as a turning point of our existence which is the birthday. I am able to celebrate my birthday last January 23. I look at my birthday as a renewal of my existence, life and faith to our God. I was able to celebrate together with my family, relatives and friends which I long to experience when my birthday is about to come. But the most awaited part in celebrating my birthday is my hope in this precious moment of my life. For this year there are three wish prepare not for myself, but for the welfare of my co-species being. First hope is a safe place to live. These include the returning of our environment on its real beauty, the prevailing of peace within heart for those among people who are separated hostilities and confrontation. A place where there were no war between 1st world countries because children are the most affected by this misunderstanding. Second hope is there were no people especially children would experience hunger. These include financial prosperity between those families who are starving for food, and shelter. Every time I encounter street children I am always disturb by their condition and move my heart to help them by giving small amount of monetary. But I realized that instead of giving them monetary direct convert to food is better. Another is education for those who are out of school youth. With this move they are able to uplift there life condition and able to send their siblings to the school. Every time I look at myself in Ateneo I am fortunate that I have this gift given by God through the instrument send which is my parents. I want also others to experience or to share this gift because I want every child to defend their self from life obstacles. Last hope in this birthday is may almighty God touches everyone broken hearts. That God be the center of family’s battle for problems brought by life. May the love of God be the inspiration for other who is perceiving life as no reason to live in. Indeed, looking birthday as a time to replenish all the short coming we had and put away those things that make our life miserable.