by: DONALD SEVILLA
GETTING BY A NOT SO MERRY CHRISTMAS
Christmas is the time of year when everyone tries to be cheerful and merry. People feel a festive vibe when the holidays come, that it gives a rush of adrenaline to our veins.
While Christmas commemorates the solemn birth of the Child Jesus, it also highlights our desire for things material. The whole of Christendom celebrates the Lord’s birth marked by Christmas cheer and merry making.
The festivities may spur our wish for all things nice and beautiful.For this reason, department stores and businesses are abuzz come Christmas time as people go out and indulge in some shopping.
Christmas is the time of year when the disparity of the ” haves” from the ” have nots” is more than ever felt.
To whose who have, Christmas brings good cheer. While it is a time for giving and sharing, what can one share and give when he has not? Because of this, most incidents of crime against property rise during the season.
Desperate folks resort to crime to keep up with the rest and savor the Christmas vibe.
Yet reeling from the pandemic and economic hardships we face, we are bound for an austere celebration. As we notice, year after year we celebrate with less fanfare and pomp.
Such is the reality that confronts us as the countdown to Christmas day comes close. Gone are the days of pompous celebrations, of dazzling lights and grandiose decorations for reasons we all know too well.
Electricity cost is an at all time high, and so are the prices of groceries and basic goods. No one seems to escape the crunch and everyone has to get by.
Yet we try and adapt to the difficult times. We manage to make do and survive.
While we may want more out of Christmas we are bound by our financial deprivations.
Unfortunately for us, our political leaders see themselves in a different light. Imbued with a lack of empathy, many travel abroad with families in tow to escape the Christmas blues.
While the rest of us slug it out to make ends meet, they hie off in joyous escapade to some lands foreign. Our Christmas may not be the best we could wish for but we can certainly make the most of what we have.
For Christmas is not just all about fat bonuses and lavish gifts. It is about the journey from humble birth to a life of peace and contentment in His grace.
Let us all have a wonderful and meaningful Christmas in our hearts!
CHEERS!