Giving and feeding the soul

 HAPPY WEEKEND

Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- I was most touched by the gesture of my niece Aubrey many years younger than me when she handed P4,000 saying it’s her Christmas gift to her younger cousins aged 12 and below.
    She counted two more cousins and took another thousand peso bill and gave it to me for distribution. And the rest is history with her inanity receiving their Christmas gifts neatly enveloped in yuletide cards to make the event meaningful and memorable as well.
    Really touching, as I thought her giving must have come from her ukay ukay sales. Came to know from her mom what makes her happy is giving and that the money came from her older brother. Wow. That’s really great and good.
    Her older brother must be blessed so gave blessings to his younger sister and Aubrey giving to her innanudi. And with the yuletide season was most perfect for that.
    Giving means money. We know of a number of monetary donations and things money can buy given to others for whatever reason. Yet one thing is certain, giving satisfies an internal feeling of happiness.  
    Giving also means time for time is precious. Where one does not work and misses a day’s pay or work in the fields and time given for another’s cause is heart-warming and worthy to take note of. For giving is sourced from what one has otherwise what shall one give when he or she doesn’t have.  
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Recently here in town were two mini concerts for a cause- for Baby Ace with pulmonary valvotomy and tourist guides Fabian and Frenelle afflicted with lung cancer.
    Sharing one’s talent could be singing to generate help for one in pain suffering from cancer or diabetes so some local musicians came out to sing for the patients’ cause. Much so since expense for medical treatment could be that staggering and not all medical expenses are handled by Philhealth or Malasakit.  
    Talent is a gift valued and the Bible itself recognizes gifts that come in many forms good, noble and worthy to be used for the common and greater good.
    For no man is an island. And man is a social being.
    And in this times where ailment commands expensive treatment comes the timely attitude and behavior to give. A manifestation of the value of reaching out extends to care that people need each other.  For this world is cruel and lopsided where the rich and powerful dominate the world. 
    And a world where the less fortunate should help and reach out to the other to make life easier for them. As a survey notes, one percent of the Filipino population don’t feel the pinch of rising prices which means the rest of the most of the 99% of the Filipino population are impoverished.
    And it’s the less fortunate who can feel the most and relate and associate the most with the less fortunate to help each other.  
    Giving is humanity and life itself. Giving is spiritual enlightenment that
 makes humans happy.  
    For man is a social being and with it comes the enrichment of the soul through giving.
    The soul composes our emotions and our intellect and the spirit which comes along with it the innate divine self for spiritual and relationship with God.
    No man is an island and for this, man comes to be in communion and interrelationship with each other to realize humanity in one.
    We realize the physical, spiritual and cravings of the soul.
    We need material things to satisfy the self and gain possessions -- either money, a house, garden, an office, clothes, gadgets and things that can be touched and seen.
    We grow with education, learnings gained from elders and the community, preachings in church, experiences and association with family and friends.
    Support systems do that from church, dap-ay, government much as these systems aid in molding man. And that is why it is very important that government provide schools, equipment and good teachers who know how to teach and not stuck in making reports.
     This we know from students who are achievers and bring pride to their very own school and village and town or province. The more achievers, the better the school.