The Season of Love!

Christmas is everybody’s favourite time of the year these days, even those who do not understand the true meaning of Christmas, thanks to the commercialization of the ‘Holiday season’ as it’s come to be known!  More often than not, we are caught up in all the material aspects of this festival – new clothes, gifts, expensive food and drink, Christmas trees & Santa Claus – that we forget that above all, Christmas is a season of Love!  Jesus (whose teachings are the foundation of Christianity) taught that Love is the only way!

To bring back the ‘Love’ into Christmas, we must reach out to those around us that are in need of that Love.  Very often, these people are our own family members.  It’s easy to miss the signs because these are people we see day in and day out, so much so that we take their presence for granted.  It’s easy to get caught up in the daily routine of rushing to work or school, meals eaten in a hurry or in front of the TV, everyone going about their own business, phone calls with friends or colleagues, time spent ‘socializing’ on the internet, that we forget to even notice our own family members.  We know they’re there, we know each one has a role to play, but how many of us stop and notice the "un-obvious"?

•  a tired mother who’s been slaving in the kitchen all day long.  All she needs is a warm hug or a “thank you Mum, the dinner was delicious” to rejuvenate her tired spirit.
• a moody teenager who’s struggling to make friends at school due to a lack of self-confidence.  All he needs is a reassuring word from his Dad that in life’s ups and downs he will always have the love & support of his parents no matter what, to make him feel like he can conquer the world.
• a melancholy Grandfather who’s feeling more & more useless every day as his strength & faculties start to fail.  All he needs is remembrance from a child or grandchild of a warm moment shared in the past, to make him feel loved & needed. 

It doesn’t take much, just small thoughtful acts of kindness every day to make our family members feel loved & appreciated.  And there’s no better time to start than during the blessed season of Christmas.  Those of us who are away from our families for the better part of the year know that this is a time we look forward to most, that we long for, because NOTHING in this world can keep us from going back home for Christmas!  Being away from your family gives you the space and the time and the opportunity to miss them, to realize their value, to reminisce and to appreciate every precious moment spent with them.  But we must try to do this even if we see them every day!

It’s undeniable that Christmas brings a special feeling of joy, peace and hope to the world.  That is the miracle of Christmas.  That is the legacy of Jesus.  It’s up to us to keep that legacy alive!  In the words of a popular song –

“Don't get so busy that you miss, Giving just a little kiss, To the ones you love

Don't even wait a little while, To give them a little smile, A little is enough

How many people are crying, People are dying... How many people are asking for love

Don't save it all for Christmas Day, Find a way To give a little love everyday…”

Merry Christmas to you & your families, or in other words, spread the love!

Movie Review – A ojos cerrados

If you have an hour to spare, it will be well spent watching this Costa Rican film.  “A ojos cerrados” literally means “to closed eyes”, and it is a refreshing change from commercial box-office hype!  Set in Costa Rica and written and directed by Hernan Jiminez, it is a beautiful story of the relationship between a 27 year old career-oriented woman, Delia, and her aged grandparents who are her only family.  Their lives are depicted in a simple yet poignant manner, and easily identifiable with our own.  Delia’s fast-paced, high-pressure career sees her rushing to work without breakfast each morning, much to her grandmother’s disapproval.  In stark contrast, her grandparents’ slow-paced life revolves around daily struggles like getting to the marketplace in their old jalopy, juggling heavy shopping bags, dealing with a broken water heater, and other every day mundane things.  Her grandmother is the sole caretaker of house and family, while her grandfather potters around his garden and tries to get acquainted with the concept of email communication!

Although the generation gap is obvious, it is touching to see both sides trying to bridge that gap, be it Delia’s grandfather’s attempt at setting up an email account, or Delia seeking her grandmother’s advice on a recent promotion.  “What makes you happy?” she asks her grandmother philosophically, when the high of the day’s events is long gone by nightfall.   The story takes a turn when Delia’s grandmother dies suddenly, and she is faced with her grandfather’s silent yet palpable grief, the running of the house which she knows nothing about (not even where the coffee powder is kept!), her grandmother’s dying request that her ashes be emptied into the Caribbean Sea, all while trying to juggle a high profile work assignment and appease her impatient boss.

What I loved most about the film is the emotion, beautifully portrayed by the actors, sometimes without a single word - like the simple gestures of love between the old couple, the old man’s inability to ‘open his eyes’ to the absence of his wife or to let her go, Delia’s tender concern and patience (and sometimes impatience) with her grandfather.  It helps you understand and appreciate a little better, the outlook of a person in their twilight years. The simplicity of the storyline is no deterrent.  If anything, it adds to the charm of the film and makes it that much more tangible.  The actors are fantastic, the scenery is breathtaking (makes me want to visit Costa Rica right away!), the soundtrack is beautifully haunting and apt.  If I had to sum it up in one word, it would be “real”.  Everything about this movie is so real, that it makes you forget you’re watching a movie.  My friend Lokesh, who introduced me to the film, says that he gets a different perspective and meaning from the film each time he watches it.  What better reason to watch a film again and again!  I would definitely recommend it to anyone!