MY BEST FRIEND

Bunso is a Filipino word which means the youngest in the family. In reality, I am the youngest in our family but we consider him as the youngest. And being the youngest, family attention is focused on that person.

Actually, Bunso was a dog. He was my best friend. He was given to us by a friend of my mother. He was still a puppy then. Bunso had no breed. He was only an ordinary dog which Filipinos call “askal” which stands for “asong kalye” or a stray dog. But he was distinct and loved in his own ways. He was placed in a small box when he was given to us. He was a cute puppy with white and brown mixture of hair. He had lovely and convincing eyes that were surely attractive to everyone.

At the start, he slept inside the house and whenever I woke up, he would lick my face as if telling me “good morning.” He never stayed in the house long enough. Like other dogs, he would do his things everywhere that kept me cleaning the house.

We made a dog house for him but he never used it. He slept in the balcony where he kept guarding our house against strangers. He was like a little child as he was growing up. He was afraid of lightning and thunder that made him knock on the door by scratching the screen-door to say that he wanted to enter the house.

Whenever meal time came, we always called him by name and he would come running. He was used to calling him by his name that even though he was far, Bunso would run and hug us. He even liked dancing. Of course, a simple dance. He would stand up and walk towards us to hold him and do cha-cha.

He accompanied me outside just to stare at the stars and sometimes I even talked to him and told him stories and he would look at me as if he understood what I was telling him.

He was really a special friend. When I entered the seminary, he did not forget me. Every time I went home, at first he would bark but as I called him, he would immediately run towards me and hug me like saying how he missed me.

I know that he was my friend for a friend is someone you trust to be with him when you are at your weakest and most vulnerable. You always get your strength from a friend. Friends are people who, no matter how painful it is to see, are willing to be with you when you are so helpless and weak. If you would trust your life to him, and vice versa, you are friends. It’s not about whether he is trustworthy, or whether he is friendly. It’s the actual act of trust that is the basis of friendship.

I miss my friend towards the end. I realized how grateful I am to have Bunso as my friend. He was the first dog that lasted in our family for years. Before him no dog lasted for months for they were either afflicted with diseases or met an accident. He actually lasted more than eight beautiful years in the family. He would always be my best friend until the end.

He saw me grow up and vice versa. He was my protector, my guide. The more than eight years that he spent his life with us were indeed memorable. When it was time for him to go due to old age, I felt a pinch in my heart. I lost a special friend but his memory will forever linger on my mind.

WHAT IS A FRIEND?

A friend is someone you trust to be with him when you are at your weakest and most vulnerable. You always get your strength from a friend. Giving advices, listening to the problems, giving hand whenever falling apart. A friend does all of this to make you strong.

They are people who, no matter how painful it is to see, are willing to be with you when you are so helpless and weak. If you would trust your life with him, and vice versa, you are friends. You trust him to the point that ever advices he gave is what you always do, every thing that he say, you keep them in mind.

It’s not about whether he is trustworthy, or whether he is friendly, it’s the actual act of trust that is the basis of friendship. If you trust him to be truthful, then you’re a friend. If you find you must be careful how you say things, then it’s something other than friendship. He is not careful of what he says that no secret between you. He never hides anything even to the last drop of details.

Sometimes, Choices come to our way either our friend or our love. But always remember that a true friend accept and always respect our decisions. He will never try to leave you but there are times that leaving is the only way for us to stand. We may not understand the reason but keep in mind that a true friend loves us.

THE CORE OF CHRISTMAS

Of all the events and seasons in a year, Christmas is always looked forward to with excitement and cheer. It brings out the goodness in man and woman. It is a day when we expect the coming of someone in our homes but we do not really see who the visitor is. No matter how invisible that someone may be, we feel in our hearts the message of His coming.

People celebrate Christmas differently. It is said that the Philippines has the longest Christmas celebration because at the onset of September, some start decorating their houses while others start making Christmas list for gifts to their loved ones. People love everything about Christmas Day - the nativity scene, carolling, scripture reading and concerts. November onwards, it is impossible to forget that Christmas is coming. Colourful lights decorate many town centres and shops, along with shiny decorations, and artificial snow painted on shop windows. During the Christmas season people delight at the sight of a brightly decorated town especially when Christmas bulbs are twinkling.

We do not do these things because we are compelled to or because tradition says we ought to. We do them simply because the spirit of Christmas is upon us. Peace and goodwill, familiar words of the Christmas story suddenly become positive and meaningful. It is part of us, part of our heritage and of our national as well as individual behaviour.

Christmas is not only neither gifts nor decorations. We do not say, “Have a nice gift or decoration on Christmas.” We greet them, “Merry Christmas.” It must be merry not because of the things we receive but it is the quality time we spend with our family and loved ones that counts. We sometimes forget to know more about our family or loved ones because of our hectic works. Let Christmas be the time to know more the people who are dear to us, those people whom we consider special in our heart. A special gift is not worth it but your presence and talks to them will surely be meaningful.

Christmas is a reminder for us that we are one nation. One means helping each other especially those who are in need. Let us not ignore those brothers and sisters who need our help. As embodied in a song that says “give love on Christmas day,” let’s open our doors to them.

The tradition of Christmas blossoms with fun and celebration and carries along with it faith, hope and love. Let us look about us and within us and count our very obvious blessings. Let us remember that, for all our shortcomings, we embody for the rest of the world the charity and generosity and goodwill that are the essence of the Christian and the Christmas spirit.

Let Christmas be really merry not only for ourselves but also to those people whom we should help. Christmas is the coming, the birth of Christ and on this day, God gave us His son for us people who need His help.

More than the material things that come with Christmas, let be that invisible spirit of love live within us and be felt by others not only during Christmas but throughout the year.

We can make this world a better world to live in if we celebrate Christmas daily in our lives.

THE FORTUNATE YOUNG MAN

I wish to tell you the story of a young man whom you have never heard, whose name was not written on the scroll of fame, but of one who was lucky enough to be saved from death several times.

He was born on July 20 in 1988, where the weather was angry the entire week. He was not born in the hospital as expected but instead in their house. He grew up of honest parents, that modesty, humility, patience, and veracity he learned from them.

When he was still a baby, he nearly died out of suffocation. His aunt left him covered by the pillow but luckily his mother had the chance to check on him. He was so reddish and gasping for his breath after having been freed from the pillow. It was not only the incident he almost died but the start of his luck.

When he was a year old, his testis became very large like a tomato but his luck went on again. His mother brought him to a doctor for check up. On the day of his operation, his great grandfather died and the family attention was focused on the wake. Few weeks later, miraculously his testis went back to normal size without undergoing any treatment. It was like his great grandfather died in exchange for his well-being. We may call it an equivalent exchange, a life for a life.

When he was growing older, he thought everything was perfect but something changed it all. It all started when his grandfather, who was very close to him, died. On the first night of the wake, a revelation was made. It came out that his father had another family. His father met the woman in Dagupan City and bore him a child. At the start, it was hard for him to accept what had happened to them as it happened so fast, like a split second. After that, he never had the chance to see his father again, even just to hear him say “Happy Birthday or Merry Christmas.” He only wanted to see his father, after all he was considered as the favourite child between his sister and him.

Years had passed but still he has not heard anything from his father. He told himself that it was time to move on and accept the fact that he cannot change anymore what had happened.

Another incident happened to him during the birthday of his mother. It was night when they were in the swimming pool. He did not yet know how to swim back then so he was just holding the corners of the pool. Suddenly when he was in the deepest corner, his mother passed by and he waved his hand at her. He forgot that he was holding the bars. No one noticed him until one of their companions passing by saw that a child was drowning and he was immediately pulled out of the pool and helped him vomit the water that he had swallowed. It was another incident that could have taken his life but God is so good that He did not permit it to happen.

He entered the Mary Help of Christians Minor Seminary during his high school years. There, he had warm friends with many brilliant young men with whom he remained on terms of close intimacy, some of whom he treated as his own brothers. He did not know why he entered the seminary. All along, his mother was asking him to try the seminary but no one could convince him then until one day, he suddenly smiled and told his mom, he would try it.

His stay in the seminary filled up the things that he was missing in his life. He had lots of brothers who helped him to move on. Sometimes, there is still that loneliness, thinking and wishing his father will visit him someday.

On the completion of his high school year, he received an award that was unexpected. The crowd, as well as his classmates and his own family, thought it was for their other classmate but when the emcee announced his name, he doubted if he heard correctly his name. All his classmates made noise like animals on the loose. He received the spiritual award, a major award given to the seminarian who excelled in his spirituality and expected to be a priest someday. It was his most glorious day in his stay in the seminary. From then, he thought that life is not that bad at all. There are also times to celebrate.

Bryan Jeric V. de Leon is now a second year college seminarian studying in the Mary Help of Christians College Seminary with the thought that God has greater plans for him.

As a young child, he experienced a sad childhood. But, he is not at all discouraged because in between his trials are moments of triumphs like saving his life three times.

This young man realizes that sufferings are important to savour successes in life. He understands now that trials make him stronger to face life’s greater challenges.

He knows that God is good. He knows that there are mysteries in life beyond human comprehension but we just have to let God lead the way.

THE JOURNEY OF HUMAN BEINGS

Greeks says, “The universe was born, not created”. We, people of the modern time, would not believe on it but we do not also care about it. Let us now ask ourselves this following question and examine our existence: What is the universe for us? What is our purpose here? Where do we come from? These are question that we ignore. We must know the answer to know what are we suppose to do here.

The universe was not born but created. Yes; the universe was created by Being (as Heidegger names it). This Being is infinite, perfect and needs nothing further. He would not create something with no purpose for it would just be a waste so he created the world in order to be appreciated by the rational beings. This Universe was created imperfect and not fully finished, since the Being intended it for us, rational beings, to complete the unfinished project. So in order to complete the project he gave as a mysterious mind. Mysterious mind because we do not know how far its limit like the Being itself who is also mysterious in a way. This universe was given to us as a gift. Like a toy given to a kid, which must be use or else this gift would be useless. We must nourish this gift to continue perfecting this universe given to us.

Having the universe, the rational beings now are like travelers. They have journey to take. This journey would be there purpose of existing. First is the journey out. Here the beings unfold its level of perfection, he reveals himself through his action and participate it the act of existence. He needs to participate because of two reasons. (1). It is still poor that is he is limited and imperfect, in order to overcome the incompleteness of being and poverty, he needs to participate in the act of existence. Like the more it participate, the more it became perfect. (2). It is also rich in away it needs to share its goodness to others. It needs to participate to share the goodness given to him by the Ultimate Source. It must have the sense of give and take system in order for it to reach its act of perfection.

The second is the journey back. Here the beings needs to go back to the infinite Being, who from the start, created all things. We now have this goal to go back to the Source but our role here is not limited unlike the rest of the cosmos. They are just below us, lacking self conscious, intelligence and will. So now we become the mediators between the material world and The Supreme Being. We recognize the universe as a gift to us from the Being and we in return must appreciate and nourish it.

The universe can not go back on its own. It needed our service to complete the great circle of beings. Our service now is to help the universe to go back to the infinite Source by means of completing it for as we learned from the above it is an unfinished project. This is where now the second journey is completed by means of our existence and service.

This is what it means to be a human person. We are embodied spirit who is a traveller to take a journey back to the Source and to help the universe which is a gift to us to help it go back to the source along with us.

WHAT IS DEATH?

“Bryan, this is the mother of Alexandra. She died last Tuesday.” When I heard those things from her mother, I became weak and I wanted to cry. After that conversation, I began to reminisce the times she laughed and told me her problems. I was shocked with what her mother had told me.

I want to relate my story and connect it about being. What is a being? Can we consider the dead as a being? What are the differences between the dead and the living? Why is it that we only learn to treasure the existence of someone when he or she is dead?

According to the book, “Central Problems of Metaphysics”, being means that which is, or is present, in some way. It is also said that being includes everything. From the definition of being can we consider the dead people as beings? For me, the answer is yes because I still think of them. According to the book, beings are those we can think of. Even though the dead people have lost their existence, they are still considered as beings but with limitation. This limitation is on the way they reveal themselves or what we call essence. They are limited because they are unable to act. From we studied, a being reveals himself through actions and we know that the dead people lost their existence. Their essence as beings is now limited in the way they are put in.

The only thing that differentiates a dead from the living is that of their essence. A living can reveal himself in different ways like showing how good he is on something. The dead has the only essence of the just a dead body because it cannot act unlike the living. The only differ of action or their essence. For example, my dead friend cannot move anymore while I still can. The more I act the more I reveal myself. We differ from the way we express ourselves. She cannot express herself anymore because she is dead but I can still express myself to others because I am still alive.

I have been asking myself, “Why is it the time we only treasure someone when he or she is already dead?” I came to realize that when our loved ones are still alive, we do not think of the thinks they have done rather we think of the things they can still do. For example, a son does not think of what her his mother had done for him but he thinks of those things his mother can give like the things he does not possess or those things he longs for. We fail to appreciate the beauty of someone’s presence. We do not acknowledge even the little things they have done for us. We must in a way treasure every moment we have with them for there will come a time that they will or we will be dead.

I want to share with you my experience that is related to my topic. It was Easter Sunday, when I received a call from an unregistered number. I answered the call and asked who it was. The woman answered, “Bryan, this is the mother of Alexandra, she died last Tuesday.” When I heard it, I thought it was a joke but it wan not. Her mother continued talking. “ She has been suffering from leukaemia for more than five years. Then last Monday, she was totally depressed with you said to her but I will never blame you for her death. We have already accepted and awaited her eternal rest. She does not want you to know her condition because she does not want you to worry about her. And before she died, she keeps saying that she loves you and she is happy to die because at last she will be at your side, as she wishes. She also said that she would be you angel to guide you and look for you.”

I started to cry and blamed myself because last time I told Alex that she could not fall in love with me for the reason that I wanted to become a priest and in priesthood there is a vow of celibacy wherein they cannot marry. She cried and hanged up the phone. From then on, I lost my contact with her. I tried to find some way to see how she was doing. Until her mother told me the news, so I went to Manila last May to visit her grave. My knees became weak. Then I started crying when I saw something written on her grave. It was the last thing I said to her when she was still alive that is “We must accept what God wants.” While I was crying, I remembered the times we spend talking and debating on different topics. The times I would receive morning greetings and the moments she shared some of her secrets. Until now, I cannot stop thinking about her especially when I am alone. I always remembered the times she would wake me up early in the morning because of her nightmares.

I failed to show Alex how important she was and how I appreciated the things she has done for me like reminding me of something. Above all, I failed to show her how grateful I am for coming into my life.

The dead people are important to us. We always put them in our mind. We must show everyone especially those who are still alive how important he or she is to us in order to avoid the same mistake I have done. We must treat every moment with them as the last for we do not know what might happen next. We should respect them because someday we will also be dead.