Logique du Coeur

mgarcia@theguidon.com

Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays in the country. More than the pretty lights, colorful displays and presents in fancy packaging, society encourages us to make the season more meaningful by doing something “good.” Whether through grand gestures or a humble thank you, we are taught to express gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon us throughout the year. And since the festivities are held in honor of Christ’s birth, what better way to celebrate Christmas than to live a life for others like he did?

Practicing social responsibility sounds like an ideal gift to give this season, but before you rush to the nearest store to purchase baskets of goods, I believe it is only right to clarify personal intentions. If your reason for doing so comes purely out of the goodness of your heart, then I have no objections. But sometimes, without meaning to, people tend to obligate themselves to be good to satisfy a certain emotional need in their life. If you choose to participate in a society of charitable and generous citizens, you must carefully plan your methods.

About a month ago, I volunteered to be a facilitator for the annual Blue Christmas celebration, organized by the Council of Organizations of the Ateneo. I spent an entire day with 27 kids from Payatas, played games with them, danced to pop songs and even went up and down the MVP elevator countless times just to make the kids happy. Despite giving up an entire day of what could have been a restful weekend, I found personal fulfillment through their warm hugs and bright smiles.

However, it was right after they hopped into their respective jeepneys and bid farewell to me that I realized that after that day, all our lives would return to normalcy. After that day, I would take with me the memory of a day I made 27 children happy. But for the opposite side, I doubt that the kids I “helped” would remember the girl in blue who played with them once but never bothered to keep in touch.

I would like to believe that in one way or another, I have touched the lives of these children. But it is more likely that they were able to serve as an inspiration to myself more than I was to them.

What am I driving at? There is a need to recognize that change does not happen overnight. If we believe that one grand donation (or in my case, one day off) should save us from doing more good deeds throughout the rest of the year, then we are mistaken. These acts of kindness should not be practiced only during the holidays, but throughout the year. There needs to be a continuity and constant checking up on the communities we seek to help.

We must remember that we are encouraged to do these things not so that we can feel better about ourselves, but to be in solidarity with others. If these things will only serve as a one time, big time thing for them, then we’re not really helping them but only feeding our own egos.