infiniteperspective.net

Filipinos love celebrations. In Dumaguete alone, we have barely gotten over the Buglasan mania and preparations for the city fiesta are already in full swing. With December just around the bend, Christmas also smells wonderfully close. Of course New Year follows, then Valentines and then …but I’m getting ahead of myself. You do get the picture, don’t you? Fiestas and celebrations are part and parcel of the Filipino (perhaps, even the human) psyche. We just love festivals!

But we don’t have to wait for fiestas or special family occasions to come around so we can party. Life is reason enough for a toast. In fact, I’ve noticed that the more I found reasons to celebrate, the more life gets placed in perspective. So what really makes life worth celebrating?

Family comes first in my list. I savor every precious moment of my daughter’s infectious laughter and my husband’s firm resolve. Of course, when it comes to family, I must not forget to mention Jewel, my “eldest daughter,” whose canine loyalty is far more precious than any material possession that I have.

The next best thing to family is food—especially Italian fare. Savoring very creamy and cheesy pizzas and pastas have become a very precious treat. And now that it’s also imperative for me to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, I’m giving my taste buds a workout with varied tastes and textures. Everyday is a fiesta with sweet lansones, chilled watermelons and would you believe, steamed okra dipped in salt and vinegar.

Then, there are pictures. With the invention of camera phones, priceless moments are captured easily and printed just as quickly. Photographs capture that once-in-a-lifetime instant when a face cannot look exactly as it did at any other time, when a first step was taken, when the triumph of a victory or the pain of loss is as genuine as the day it was felt. When I look at the photos I have of my daughter—from the time I first held her in the delivery room up to now—I always find a reason to celebrate.

I always get a kick out of people whose eyes narrow and jaws drop whenever they see me. So on my list, I always find a cause to celebrate when I see old acquaintances and yes, even relatives, who disbelieve that I’m still alive. Sometimes I even get the feeling that others wish me dead just to prove what they want to believe. So I celebrate everyday of the life that the good Lord has given me so that I can continue to proclaim how wonderful He is and how truly effective Mama Mary’s intercession is. Of course, the jaw dropping gets pretty hilarious sometimes, so a bash is always in order every time that happens.

Last but not the least, I find reason to celebrate in everything that Life throws at me. The joys, fears, uncertainties, sadness, anger and grief—all sorts of emotions and sentiments that make this existence colorful and vibrant are more than enough for a toast. Dreams fulfilled and dreams yet to be realized, the everyday struggle to either succumb or fight—all these scream for a celebration. Because despite all of life’s punches, it’s still good to be alive.

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