As Christmas Day approaches, I am reminded of what Christmas always means for me – love and family. The love as exemplified by God who gave his only begotten Son to suffer and die on the cross so that we all may be saved and have the chance to enjoy life eternal. Family is the core of society, with the Holy Family as a model with Joseph and Mary following the dictates of the Lord raising a Son to fulfill His destiny. Christmas is the time to celebrate love and family.

In the Philippines, many show their love through the gifts they give, the more expensive, the greater the love, we think. Yet the gifts we should appreciate are those where the giver has taken time to look for the gift most appropriate for the recipient or where the giver has put his or her time and effort in making the gift. A simple bag of cookies from a friend’s kitchen is more valuable than the finest pastries from a 5 star hotel. Amy and I value the bottle of cheese that Danny and Peia give knowing it’s a product of their entrepreneurship. The same is true for the holiday decors that Steve and Mila find time to send in the midst of filling up rush Christmas export orders.

Of course, these gifts are only expressions of the most cherished gift these and other friends have given us, the gift of love.

The love we should celebrate on Friday is love that is shown daily and not only during the Holiday season. When we had an early Christmas get together for the Salazars in Bacolod last weekend, I was enveloped in the love that one grew up in and which has swelled by the sharing and giving of Mom and Dad, uncles and aunts, cousins, nephews and nieces. I was inspired seeing a cousin who spent years working in the United States and proudly seeing her niece and nephew graduating with nursing degrees with her sustained support. It reminded me of how Mom and Dad without fanfare had helped so many in the Sison and Salazar families achieve their dreams and reach their potentials. The culture of doing good for others is deeply ingrained in our family by these and many examples that I am confident the succeeding generations will add to this wealth of values.

The same weekend, our La Salle family, LS High School ’67 had an early reunion during Rey Bantug’s 60th birthday. Coached by Manny Parroco, in my remarks I thanked Rey and his family because his celebration also covered all our birthdays for many of us became senior citizens this year. I also expressed our gratitude for Rey’s support all these years, which echoed the sentiments not only of our classmates but also his family, fellow Rotarians, colleagues in the sugar industry and community leaders. I attributed Rey’s value of sharing in that he had discovered that “Real Happiness Is Helping Others”. It is also the same value that has bonded our class stronger years after graduation.

We help others through the Tib-ong Foundation which provides scholarships, supports charities and undertakes projects for the needy. The love we have for each other is intensified when we reach out to love others and include them in our family.

This Thursday and Friday, as families get together for Christmas “Noche Buena” or the traditional Christmas lunch, let us not just enjoy the good food, fine wine and the togetherness; let us celebrate Love and Family. And resolve to keep that spirit of love and family stirring in our hearts forever.

Business Bits. We wish all our faithful readers (especially Francis Borja,who gives his feedback regularly), family and friends an early “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!”