Sana ganoon kadali

(Originally written on the Feast of Niños Inocentes, 28 Dec 2005 10:18:49 -0800 PST)

Morning, my nephew, asked me something this afternoon that made me both laugh and ponder.

He told me: "Ninang, alam mo may mga hindi ako maintindihan sa mundo natin (Godmother, you know there are things that I don't understand in this world.)."

"Ano 'yun? (What is that?)" I asked him, quite excited to know what it was.

"Kasi yung salitang 'NEW' ang basa naman talaga 'new' (read in Filipino) bakit ginawa pang 'nyu,' tapos yung 'PULL' pwede namang 'pul' lang dinagdagan pa ng 'L (Because the word 'NEW' we can plainly read it 'new,' why do we have to read it like 'nyu,' then the word 'PULL' it can stand as plainly 'pul' why do they have to add another 'L')?," he asked.

Amazed, I gave him a grin. I then told him that words have their origins, that they evolved from languages used in the times of Abraham and Jesus.

At school, Morning may not be the outstanding student, I would say that he is average to above average, but I noticed that he really loved to analyze things--from songs, to gadgets, to just everything he sees and hears around.

But more than that, he has always proven to me that children are really the most honest people around. Bakit nga ba ang simple-simple lang ng buhay, pinapahirapan pa natin? (Life is simple, why do way it difficult?)

Naalala ko tuloy ‘yung tanong ng isang pari sa sermon niya, bakit ba ang pagtulong ngayon naging napaka kumplikado na? Kapag may humihingi ng limos, magdadalawang isip pa tayo kung tama ba ‘yun o hindi, thinking that he or she could just be part of a syndicate, samantalang piso hanggang limang piso lang naman ang ibibigay natin. Bakit nga ba? (Even helping has become complicated. When a beggar asks for alms, why do we bother thinking if he or she is part of a syndicate, when we would only be giving a meager one peso to five pesos.)

Everyone strives for the best. Parents want the best for their children, so dad or mom, or both, go abroad take care of somebody else's children, while their own are left in the care of others. The results are different. Some achieve their purpose, but most don't. They end up raising children they don't really know and who don't know them. And we call it the BEST for them just because they wear signature clothes, study in private schools, eat imported corned beef and Spam.

Samantalang, sa totoo lang, para sa mga bata ang pinakamahalaga 'yung nandiyan si nanay at si tatay. (But the truth is, for the children what only matters is to have mom and dad around.)

Morning is a product of a broken home, figuratively. His papa is in Canada, while he stays with his mama, who also lives with us. He has many questions about that setup. And if you would read them, you can draw from those questions his biggest desire: to be with him.

I was surprised how the news of tsunamis in Asia enthused him. "Ninang Joy, paano kung lumindol pa ng malakas na malakas na malakas, ibig sabihin ba noon magkakadikit na ang Canada at Pilipinas? (How about when a very, very strong earthquake hits us, does that mean Canada and the Philippines would be adjoined to each other?)"

"Ibig sabihin makikita ko na ang papa ko. (That means I will get to see my Papa.)"

At dahil ngayon ay kumplikado na nga ang buhay na pinili o ginawa natin, ang sinasagot na lang natin lagi sa mga problema at katanungan: "sana ganoong kadali." (And because the life we chose and created has now gone complicated, what we often just answer to our questions is: hope it's that easy.)

Well, that's life now. The life we cannot say we don't want, because we all happen to be part of why it has become so complicated now.

Panindigan na lang natin ito. (Let's just stand by it.)

Maligayang Pasko mga mahal kong kaibigan, sana paggising ko nasa harap ko lang kayo lahat to kiss and hug you all, at para maging totoo ‘yung lagi nating sinasabi sa isa't isa na: I'm just here. (Merry Christmas my dear friends, I hope when I wake up you are just right before me to kiss and hug you all, that we can truly tell what we always tell each other: I'm just here.)

Sana ganoong kadali, (Hope it's that easy)

joysg