A ripening fruit lured me to climb the guava tree when I was in the fifth grade.
While I was reaching out for the tempting fruit, my foot slipped, breaking the branch I was standing on and I fell, my right thigh hitting the broken part of the tree and leaving me with a bloodied open wound.
Four stitches were done by the town doctor, who came without anesthesia, causing me to groan in pain each time the surgical needle pierced my young skin.
It took a couple of months to heal but the wound left a scar that has continued to remind me of that unfortunate afternoon when I was barely 10 years old.
The experience gave me a life-long lesson that recurs now and then, especially in moment when pain, defeat and loss are inevitable, like the May 9 election.
Loss, in whatever form, can be traumatic and devastating. How one copes with it usually depends on his mental and emotional mechanisms.
I believe politicians have developed ways to deal with it, otherwise they have to bear the psychological pain for quite a time.
Of course, they have to undergo various stages – even depression – before they come face to face with the bitter reality prior to the sinking in of acceptance.
Certainly, there are options open to those who believe something wrong was done against them.
Eventually, healing must take place with one’s acceptance that a setback has taken place.
After decades of seeing and feeling the scar on my thigh, I have long come to a point that I consider it more as part of my being, having no regrets of engaging in that “misadventure” one rainy afternoon in childhood.
As they say, we have to move-on and that should be done collectively as part of the process. It’s time for healing, no matter how long it takes to begin, especially after ties among friends, neighbors, colleagues and even family members were also bruised and broken.
Only then can reconciliation can take place and, hopefully, soon.
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The report about a teenaged girl in La Castellana who allegedly told her equally young boyfriend to kill her mother because of the latter’s strong disapproval of their relationship sent shock waves all over and grave concern over deteriorating family ties in our communities.
We have heard reports of a son hacking his own parent, of a man shooting a brother dead and related violence among those with close blood ties.
The La Castellana violence sadly comes a week before the observance of the International Day of Families.
The observance on Sunday, May 15, is themed, “Families and Urbanization”.
The United Nations has underscored that urbanization is an important megatrend “shaping our world and the life and well-being of families” across continents.
An important point is the need for sustainable urbanization, which is related to the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
A significant concern this year is the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on families, particularly in urban areas where congestion and overpopulation are evident.
The pandemic, UN said, as a health crisis has “unprecedented effects on many spheres of life.” These spheres include the economy, education and nutrition.
It affected negatively care arrangements, work, family balance as well as issues on gender equality and other aspects of family life.
One important fact highlighted by UN is the rise of the rate of family homelessness, including in opulent Europe, where in some countries the number of such homeless families reach more than 20 percent of population.
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Another celebration anchored on quality of people’s lives is the May 16th International Day of Living Together in Peace.
UNESCO said the event is “all about accepting differences and having the ability to listen, to recognize, respect and appreciate others as well as living in a peaceful and united way.”
The celebration this year is focused on the theme, “United Differences and Diversity”.
The celebration was established by the UN General Assembly “as a means of regularly mobilizing efforts of the international community to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity.”
The observance hopes to uphold the desire of people to live and work together, united in diversity toward the building of a Sustainable and harmonious world.
The day further encourages countries, communities and groups of faith to promote reconciliation to ensure peace and cooperation in solving international and domestic problems.
How we wish that leaders of countries initiating armed conflict, like Russia and Myanmar, would heed the call this week – for people, despite their differences, to live together in harmony, understanding and peace.
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He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. (Psalm 147:3) – NWI
