LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza
The following stories were lifted from the internet. Incidentally, the month of December is the month of volunteerism. Thus, the stories struck a chord as Pinoys and races all over want to contribute anything to help the victims in Mindanao tragedy.
I do not know how or why the stories connect to the acts of volunteerism in the south. I just felt that these were truly interesting stories that reveal the many faces of life at a time when people are supposed to rejoice and celebrate the birth of Christ.
On Christmas Eve in the trenches in Flanders fields in 1914, suddenly in the still of the freezing night a young German voice began singing “StilleNacht” (Silent Night).
Soon, one by one, each German voice joined in harmony. As soon as they were finished there was a pause. Then from across the trenches a young English soldier sang out loud and clear“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and the other English soldiers sang in harmony.
Then both sides sang “Silent Night” together in two different languages. After a considerable pause the lone figure of a young German walked out between the trenches
into “No Man's Land.”
Then the soldiers on both sides slowly walked out to join him. The soldiers from opposing sides shook hands, hugged and traded chocolates, cigarettes, photographs, scotch and cognac.
The Christmas carols resounded throughout the frozen fields of Flanders. Soon daylight was upon them and with sad farewells they returned to the trenches to continue the fighting. A sad but true story.
***
One cold winter Christmas Eve, there was a family who lived in the slums of Brooklyn. The family lived in an old run-down apartment, suitable for rats.
The wife wanted to buy a chain for her husband's damaged watch, but did not have enough money. She was frantic and overwhelmed in panic. She did not know what to do... her Christmas would be ruined! She thought and thought until she came up with an idea. She decided to sell her hair at the local salon.
She entered the salon and was quickly examined by the stylist. The hair stylist was astonished in not finding damaged hair. So the wife and the stylist bargained until it resulted in the wife receiving $20 for her hair – just enough to buy the chain.
She looked at herself and saw that she looked hideous, but she did not care and cloaked her head with a shawl. She purchased the watch chain and left for home. She wrapped the chain in newspaper and sat quietly waiting for her husband to return from work that afternoon.
The husband returned and entered the house. He said nothing as the wife saw that he had a grin upon his face.
After dinner, they sat next to the warm stove. The wife then pulled out the gift and gave it to the husband. The husband looked confused, but opened it.
He was in tears when he saw the gift, because he had sold his watch to buy a gift for the wife. He pulled out his gift, which was a hair brush for his wife's delicate hair. Both the wife and husband wept. The love within the family had proven that they would sacrifice anything it took to see happiness upon their partner.
********
As of yesterday, reports had it that the death toll in the Mindanao flooding reached a high of 1,010. Secretary of Interior and Local Governments Jesse Robredo said he was happy with the response of the private sector in the floods of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.
As fast as news reports of the Mindanao tragedy were updated, people started donating medicine and food, launched relief operations, non-government organizations sent doctors and forensic medical examiners, and volunteer from all over wanted to help in every way they can.
In an individualistic and self-centered society, volunteerism such as what has been happening recently in Mindanao is an exceptional and an isolated gesture of unselfish neighborliness.
Definitely, in most third world communities, reciprocal self-help is fundamental to the continued existence of rural communities. This was commonly seen in farmers in the barrios who help each other bring in harvests, assist in the construction of houses, transfer the same houses from one site to another thru the bayanihan way, cooperate in maintaining roads, among other activities.
In the 19th Century, population growth and urbanization, industrialization, and the use of money as the means of trade and exchange weakened and diluted mutual assistance and community cooperation.
However, volunteerism came back in the early 20th Century in answer to the devastation wrought by the First World War, when former soldiers who were former enemies decided to volunteer and reconstruct a village that was destroyed in their war that killed more than a million lives.
That cooperative volunteerism displayed by former soldiers who were former enemies resulted to the creation of the first international voluntary service movement.
From that time on, volunteerism wore many masks. It built friendships across continents, provided jobless people useful social work in exchange for food and shelter, it reached out to the poorest of the poor anywhere in the world.
And so, the US Peace Corps Volunteers, British Volunteer Program, the Japanese Overseas Volunteer Corps, among others, were born and recognized by the UN Volunteers Program.
Among them, the biggest humanitarian movement called the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement was founded to have today an estimated number of 100 million volunteers, roughly more than the population of the Philippines.
Since then, volunteerism has taken many forms and has involved a wide range of people. It has been involved in medicine, emergency rescue, and response to a natural disaster, extinguishing fire, education, environmental protection, community service, orphanage work, donating cash, cultural heritage, social justice, rural and human development, and even free legal assistance.
The volunteerism of Mother Theresa has inspired people to emulate her so that most of the volunteers from more developed countries in the West choose the Third World such as India, Africa and Southeast Asia as their volunteering destinations.
December is the month of volunteers who are always remembered for their deeds. They are now in Mindanao.
To quote Scholar-Teacher and Boy Scout administrator Forest E. Witcraft, he once said: "one hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of house you lived in... what kind of car you drove... what your bank balance was... but what will matter most is that you were important in the life of a child.”
May you all have a blessed Christmas. – marchfianza777@yahoo.com
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