Christmas Baskets

My niece is in charge of taking care that doctors their company eyes as endorsers continue to patronize their medicines. This Season they bought expensive Christmas baskets to distribute as gifts to these doctors. 

Nothing wrong with giving, in fact it's the spirit of the Season. But who does the Season celebrate about? Doctors? Or, let's broaden more our scope and ask, is Christmas for the privileged few, the professionals who ask exorbitant fees from the sick, the educated and well-to-do?

If I remember right, we have Christmas now because years ago an extremely selfless person was born to very poor families, so poor he was born in a dirty, germ-full manger and visited by the poorest of poor that time--the shepherds. If we're honest, Christmas is really about the poor, and for the poor. Hence, much later, the wise men came bearing expensive gifts--not for doctors or professionals or the privileged few who had already been enjoying favors and wealth--but to the poor child living in the very poor town of Nazareth.

This should be the true spirit of Christmas--aside from the very vital fact that it is the day we remember how God sent His salvation to totally get us out of sin. If you give gifts in the name of the Savior's birth, you should give the best to children, particularly poor children. Otherwise, if you give expensive gifts to doctors, professionals, and those who are already enjoying privilege and riches, give them on some other occasions, not Christmas. Perhaps give them on Halloween or April Fools. 

Of course we give gifts to the poor on Christmas--we give away our USED things, sometimes even used (or deformed) canned goods, toothbrushes, dentures, and underwear. Okay, okay, I admit, we also give them brand new stuff--like cheap instant noodles packed with sodium and chemical preservatives.

The Christmas baskets for the doctors had expensive wine, expensive corned beef and other canned meats, the best best cheese, costly nuts to cushion the items with, quality and expensive fruits, imported goodies and chocolates, and other costly items fit for the rich and famous. I figure a basket cost P3k to P5k.

Now, I wonder, who'd give gifts like that to a poor, poor man on Christmas? No one. Why? Because they have nothing that we desperately need. Drug companies give away such gifts to doctors whose endorsements they desperately need. Thus, the term "exchange gifts" is so apt for Christmas parties enjoyed by this wayward generation because they use each other, giving with ulterior motives attached. But such giving is not in the Savior's interest. The Savior gave himself fully to us at such a time when we hated Him the most, at such time when we were poorest.

I wish someday I'd be able to buy tons and tons of really expensive Christmas baskets. I know fully well who to give them to.


Well, you heard it first, again, from Malaliman...deeply.