By ADELA WAYAS
www.nordis.net

“People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they will eat between the New Year and Christmas.”(thinkexist.com)

December is the busiest month for the people. The celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ always requires a long preparation. People think of what to food to prepare long before the date, where to celebrate and what gifts to give to their love ones. They decorate their houses with bright christmas lights and lanterns.Then after Christmas comes the celebration of the New Year that demands another preparation. This is the usual surface scenario during Christmas and New Year’s day. And then it takes a few days more for the euphoria to die down. Then it is another year of struggling to survive the next 365 days.

While surfing on-line, I read that quotation and I draw two points from it. First, not all people are thinking of what to eat on Christmas day or New Years’ day. Second, most of the people are really worrying of what to put in their stomach not only on Christmas or New Years’ day but everyday.

In the first place, poverty in the country is prevalent. Though people believe that somehow they have to celebrate the birth of the Christ with the best dishes on the table and they would find ways to have something on the table during Christmas and New year’s day. Still there are more people who do not have anything to eat at all on any day of the year. How would the hungry be able to worry if the other people are very happy celebrating Christmas and New Year?

If ever you pass the streets nowadays, I am sure you can also see that there are people especially the children sleeping on the corners and ignoring the noisy happy street. I am sure not all of them have a full stomach nor have eaten any.

They worry of where to get their next meal. It becomes their problem of food or how they will feed their family. All throughout of their lives their problem is how to live.

For me, as long as my family is complete and safe it is okey by me, even if there is nothing to prepare for Christmas or New Year or even birthday celebrations. What is more important to me is there’s enough food to eat every day of our life. But then for some life is not that easy, there are times that there is no food to eat.

It will be helpful for us to reflect why is this so. Search and find the roots of our poverty. We may just find the solution how to change this situation.
Poverty will never end if there are people who are greedy and think only for their self. We must strive also to live but without stealing what is meant for the people. We should be very vigilant and know how to fight for what is really for us.

2010 is another challenge for us. It will be another year to educate ourselves and reflect from the past. It will be another year to make a difference in life and for the other people. It will be another year of asserting our rights as national minorities and people of this land.

This coming election, we must elect for the right politician one who will serve. Let us start helping the poor uplift their life even just for a little through the leaders we will vote. Assert for what is for the people so that in the coming years and Yuletide and New Year celebrations and everyday there will always be something to eat.# nordis.net