Give More!

New year, new life, new dreams, new ways! To help make these possible there are dos and donts one must do.

When midnight strikes on December 31, jump from a chair or table to grow taller the coming year. Make as much noise and put all lights on in the whole house to drive bad spirits away. Unintentional, any single couple who stands under a mistletoe (any little-leafed green branch) must kiss, and be assured of wedding bells in the coming months. 7 pomelos/7 oranges/7 chicos/7 guavas/7 calamansi/7 grapes/7 melons (the “roundier”, the better) 7 of 7 will bring luck and riches. One may go even further with round leche flan, round halayang ube, round pudding, round serving plates… Never be caught without coins in one’s pocket, and wear something with dots and circles. As finale, throw coins which one has to scramble after, the more one collects, the better. These coins will bring good life.

My family did all these in our past Christmases. If it were not enough, everybody, including our “kasambahay” had to be under a polka-dotted blanket or cloth when the clock strikes 12!

Now, there are better ways to usher in the new year.

There is the advent wreath which brings together families to pray and re-bond. Blessed and renewed, one can rethink one’s new year’s resolutions. Some could be: limit 6 new dresses, or even less, for the coming whole year; top rice meals in take out boxes to be given to street children, instead of the usual lavish birthday parties; give up a combo meal and fast on a simple burger to share a second burger with a beggar; train the grand kids to save and give up on toys to be able to give during mass; give one’s workers one day off per week so they can worship; make a general confession twice or thrice a year, especially before the year ends.

Our family suffered financially, despite what we have been doing for the longest time. Not because of bad luck, but because of wrong decisions and wrong priorities.

All we did in the past speak of taking and receiving — good life, good fortune, for ourselves!

Our family pray for the grace to give more, of ourselves, our talents and fortune. We realized that giving of our excess is not true giving, because the term excess is relative and we seldom consider we are in excess. Giving to us means sharing of what we actually have, to take less in order to give more. It takes effort to take the second seat and think of the “other,” but GOD’s grace is ever present, constant and limitless!

A grace-filled and share-abundant new year to everyone! To GOD be all glory forever!