Do we still have a reason to celebrate Christmas?

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Naderev Saño

One moment we were watching the evening news Christmas countdown with anticipation. The next thing we knew, we were watching ourselves on the news, heartbroken and devastated to the extent commensurate to the damage around us. Just when we were so excited to greet Christmas with a festive mood, we were suddenly knocked down with Nature's fist of fury--tearing us apart, breaking our hearts, driving us to tears.

With the recent disaster and its aftermath haunting us, turning into a nightmare in high noon, reminding us of the sufferings of others and our own, do we still have a reason to celebrate Christmas?

Yes, we do. 

To Christians, Christ itself is enough reason. Our sufferings from the disasters of this world pale in comparison to what He endured for all of us. Surely, no amount of despair could make us let go of even the smallest reason to remember Him. This very act is an act of Hope, that even at our darkest times we fight against that black hole forming in our hearts, sucking all of the remaining light. 

We may not be able to sit around our Christmas trees in our comfortable living rooms now rendered unrecognizable with the filth and thick sediment, prepare a bountiful dinner in our beloved kitchen that now lays destroyed, or hear the sounds of torn wrappers together with peals of laughter as we jump in surprise of the gift we receive. But celebrating Christmas was never about these things. It was not about how loud and merry we get, how inebriated we become from our drunken revelries and how varied the dishes served on our table will be. It is not in the best greetings we speak, but in the quality of our prayers. It is not in the mere physical presence of our loved ones, but in the extent of our remembrance and love which transcends borders and can even get past death. 

Celebrating Christmas is lying in the silent knowledge that despite what we've been through, Life is still worthwhile because Someone cared enough to give up His own in an ultimate expression of Love.

Forget the breeze, the lights and the songs. It is Christmas in our hearts that brings Christmas in the air. 

The Workplace

This is exactly why I need to have a space of my own. Otherwise, roommates would be buried in a heap of scientific journals, handouts, Bato Balanis, and other stuff. The table is equally cluttered, and the bed barely gives space for someone to sleep. When I do sleep I become an instant contortionist, and like a fluid which takes the shape of its container, I content myself with the available space (which I never really took as a discomfort since I only get to sleep for an hour maximum). Oh the life of an academic. 

Ha ha ha.

I don't look good with my poker face. I don't look good when I laugh, either. There was a point in my life when I cover my face when I laugh really hard. As much as possible, I suppress my laughter. But who needs to look good when they laugh? The important thing is, you FEEL good! And probably more important for us, ever curious creatures, is to find out why.

Read  Scientists Hint at Why Laughter Feels So Good at The New York Times.

Life may become so serious it's funny. You have to laugh it out, sometimes. Get those endorphins going!

Ha ha ha.

Eat that.

In addition to scientific journals I have this to devour.

 Finishable, I hope.

How to make an event like a beauty pageant particularly riveting and engaging.

1. Start way behind schedule. In order to do this, choose judges that avail each and every salon service an hour before the show actually starts. Or you could choose judges that simply have the guts to let people believe we have all day to wait for them. Choose those judges who believe they are very important. They are those who do not know that the reason the pageant needs them and cannot start without them is that their valuable subjective judgments play a crucial role, not because they have an unlimited sense of entitlement.

2. Assign a boring host. Choose public speaking veterans who have gained the accolades of their peers with probably a century of experience kicking ass in the hosting industry. Their long experience made them sank into complacency as they are certain that even though they are pulling the flow of the pageant together with their dragging spiels and effortless vocal nuances, they still believe they are doing a great job. Make them introduce the board of judges in a time duration equivalent to one judge per day. This way, the audience which is mostly composed of young and highly-energetic students, will be able to relate to the host because the generation gap is non-existent.

A few reminders.

There are some things I must remind myself of.

First,  most of the time the problems we have with other people are actually problems we have with ourselves. In introspect, it is not actually the other person's actions that is making you uncomfortable but it is your attitude, your reaction, and your paranoia that is causing all the distress. Thus, before condemning others by attributing to them the error and fault of the circumstances, ascertain first where the true problem lies. It could be within your area of responsibility and burden pushing other parties might lead to irreparable consequences. If you found out that it is your fault, then rejoice. The easiest mistake to correct is the one you have committed, for you have no control of others' errors but you have full control and responsibility of yourself.

Celebrate for math. Happy Birthday, Fermat!