Think about it
‘Time we share’
By Jun Velasco
“I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies, for the hardest victory over self,” – Aristotle
IN an article ‘Managing the Time We Share’ which recently appeared at the New York Times International Weekly, we came upon an unnerving thought.
That it is commonly believed that there aren’t enough hours in the day but when carefully evaluated, is our need for time spent in more satisfying ways, particularly time with other people.
Why are we on the subject of time?
You see, we marked our 70th year last Sunday, January 27.
But due to a little mis-print in the paper which list listed as January 24, some friends were
On the 24th, family members led by wife Cathy, sons Junjun and Youssef and daughter Kharmina — concocted a ‘conspiracy’ with publisher Ms. Mita Duque, owner of President Hotel, to surprise us with a well-planned party.
It did shock us to discover the plot with all of them successfully coughing up a detailed program with ‘chief mastermind’ Youssef or Chip Chip overseeing the program.
Speakers were lined up, those the family thought played some memorable roles in our life, including Speaker JDV, Ermin Garcia Jr., Oscar Orbos, brod Dante, and, here’s the catch, Sec. Sonny Coloma.
We squeezed out ‘vital’ info from Chip Chip whose PMS office is adjacent to the Malacanang Press Office how he got a video of Sonny Coloma doing a “Happy Birthday” video.
Ditto with brod Dante who made a heartwarming message, OO, cousins, relatives and our articulate brods and sisters made Mita Duque to say “panay magaganda at guwapo.”
Thank you, Atchi, but what made us weep with pure joy was the good things they saw especially Dante’s recollection of our boyhood tales, Pastor Pio’s linking us with things spiritual, Norman’s joining us in our national press club forays, and from those sisters Susan, Julie, Baby and brother Butch (the provincial info officer). The conspirators even succeeded in getting a video of Brod Noel and sis Mita who are in London.
We kidded former Board Member Bobby Sison who kept pouring beer into our glass “what they are doing is premature eulogy!”
Youssef, our youngest, described by Dante as a great writer, astonished us with his detailed items on what we have been doing “to develop us into Christian and successful people.”
That word “successful” is, of course, relative, as most of our friends know our allergy to material things. No, we are not defensive amid our modest status because we truly find our covenant with spiritual wealth as nearly purely honest or something we consciously worked out day in and day out.
No less than LP presidential bet Mar Roxas sent us a card with his hand written greeting and a Black Label, thanks to former Usec Jovy Bengson; Grace Poe sending a note thru Sendong So; Oca Orbos’ long e-mail; high school classmates’ text messages/calls; and many more and others.
What matters, we want to say without batting an eyelash, is the light feeling this struggle in life we call living gives us, sourced from our consciously walking with the Lord.
That is all that matters, isn’t it?
When we were advised not to tell our age as 69 citing the omen attached to the number 9, we instinctively expressed a prayer that God would make us an exemption.
Now that we have surpassed in a most satisfying way what could be more enriching for the soul than the love and affection from families and loved ones!
We say to all our well-wishers and above all to God, the kindest benefactor.
THANK YOU!
(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)
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