In times of tragedy, people feel that there is so much pain, suffering and hopelessness. But then again, how come when there are huge, catastrophic tragedies, we can find people who do not know each other give help in all forms and kind, offer prayers, support, kind words and inspiration. The unfortunate event happened to our “kababayans” in the southern part of our country has touched the hearts of so many people from different parts of the world. Different rescue teams from different countries arrived along with food, clothing and medicines. Overcoming the trauma and fears of the survivors is also equally important.

During tragedies, people vow to do better next time. We say we have learned from the mistakes of the past and try to do better. We always try to find answers to questions that are not answered. We try to lay the blame on someone else, sometimes we point a finger to ourselves. We question God and why He lets these things happen to us.

Why is it that it sometimes take a tragedy, whether minor or otherwise, to see the true spirit of people helping people. We learn how it is to hope. We learn to cope with worry, fears, grief and faith in the Lord. We learn to value ourselves and our loved ones more. We learn to help others. We may even think that we have to help and in so doing, we ease the guilt feelings that we are glad that this didn’t happen to us and our loved ones.We learn much about the lives of people we do not personally know but whose lives we only read about, hear about and see on the news.

Last Tuesday (Feb 14,2006) we went to my daughter’s school, PWU-JASMS QC, for the celebration of its 50th anniversary. First we had mass (daughter is a choir member). Then we watched a literary presentation on the school’s famous “mountain”, a cluster of big rocks put together in an elevated manner with trees and grass on top and around it. My daughter was one of the performers in her group Tunog Lira (Lyre group). The little kids enjoyed running around the area.Everything was fine except when Tania started crying when she saw smoke from the grilling stations for hotdogs.

After the program, the audience had community singing, candle lighting and hotdog roasting. The candle lighting was a very significant event because they are going to say goodbye to their beloved mountain to give way to the construction of a building.The significance of the activity is also felt because there were visitors during the program: alumni and grandparents of some of the students there whose parents were also students years ago. It was a reunion of sorts of these parents whose children graduated then and whose grandchildren are now studying in the school. Testimonies of fun, adventure and of feeling good were shared. Why, even the teachers of the moms of my daughter’s friends who studied there are still teaching there! One will wonder “What is it that these parents enjoyed in the school that they want their children to experience too?”

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By: Jack Prelutsky

It’s colored in with crayons,
And it’s trimmed with paper lace
It has flowers hearts, and Cupids.
I can’t wait to see her face.