People love merrymaking.

They celebrate every occasion there may be, and indulge themselves in every opportunity to

enjoy each other’s company with plenty of food, drinks, stories, jokes, gifts, pyrotechnics and games. It is the fun of it all that makes the activity worth the while and effort. The practice since time immemorial makes it part of society and culture. Tradition, they say.

The problem
1. While some people may have so much, so many people have so little or none. Be it food, clothing, shelter, money, and other necessities, the fact is the majority of the population suffer deprivation while the minority wallow in material abundance.

2. What is the usual justification for the celebration of occasions? We grew up with it. Ergo, it must be good.

Occasions
3. What are these occasions? Birthdays, baptisms, anniversaries, achievements, weddings, separation, welcomes and farewells, Valentine’s Day, Independence Day, Christmas, New Year, and similar or related events.

Comments
4. There is nothing wrong with feasting, except when you are unable to enjoy it because you very well know that so many of your compatriots do not have or have so little food to eat.

5. There is nothing wrong with having so many nice or new clothes, except when you are unable to enjoy wearing them because you very well know that so many of your compatriots do not have any.

6. There is nothing wrong with one or more nice homes, except when you are unable to enjoy them because you very well know that so many of your compatriots have none.

7. There is nothing wrong with having plenty of money, except when you are unable to enjoy saving or spending them because you very well know that so many of your compatriots have so little or none.

8. There is nothing wrong with planning for a prosperous new year, except when you are unable to enjoy it because you very well know that so many of your compatriots are doomed to go through the same empty promises of their political and economic manipulators.

9. There is nothing wrong with hoping for truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, except when you are unable to be completely honest about it because you very well know that so many of your compatriots are slowly but surely being led by historic forces into accepting the option of revolution to truly reform their unjust and inhumane society.

10. There is nothing wrong with looking forward to a reasonably certain future, except when you are unable to accept you have to leave the Filipino masses behind because you very well know that all their government has given them is a certainly impoverished past and an equally impoverished present.

Conclusion
Let us stop celebrating occasions. Let us begin celebrating the meaningfulness of our God-given life, not just occasionally, but every moment of eternity.