Gracious act of conceding

The newly-elected president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, will deliver her inaugural address in Cebu City tomorrow, in "simple but elegant" ceremonies, so her supporters say. But if we know Cebuanos, they will not be content with simple rites. They will want them to be elegant. That’s why they’re holding street dancing and exploding what I imagine will be expensive, mind-blowing fireworks. After all, the President has chosen the southern city to be the site of her inaugural address because it has given her the million votes that made her win over her closest opponent.

This is the time to celebrate a new era, and the challenges for President Macapagal-Arroyo are many. With the people’s mandate, she can choose people who will help her turn things around, make the economy prosper, rid the government of graft and corruption. She has called for the healing of wounds as this country rides off into a journey to prosperity.

The healing of wounded pride applies particularly to those who lost the election. Human nature makes it nearly impossible to accept defeat. It makes losers believe that they have been cheated. Some of them go abroad telling those who care to listen about this election as the most fraudulent and a cause for endless shame. Given that there was cheating someplace, there is nothing they can do to stop the newly-elected from assuming office, or for proclaiming what a blasted electoral system we have. They should learn the gracious act of conceding

Webster’s New World Dictionary defines the word concede as 1) to admit as true, valid, certain, and 2) to grant one a right. It takes a different breed to admit one’s defeat graciously, and to concede that one’s worst enemy is the winner of a race. We recall how Albert Gore conceded without bitterness – or admitted as true, valid, and certain, the victory of the present United States president, George W. Bush.

Defeated presidential candidate Ping Lacson demonstrated graciousness when he conceded the victory of President Macapagal-Arroyo, and even wished her well. Other losers have been hard put not to accept their defeat.

And what about presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr.? Will he continue questioning the canvassing of the election results – to the grave? What does he plan to do as a leader of his opposition party? Will he remain bitter and angry? Will he be moaning and grinding his teeth till kingdom come? He may feel he has the right to, but he must move forward now, work in his own way for the moral regeneration of this nation and its leadership, and show, by example, that not only is he a good sport, but that he is a good leader.

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My good friend Dhimaya of Los Angeles, CA, emailed the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 in the US – which comes to $160,140.00 (at the rate of P56 to 1 US dollar, that is P8,967,840) for a middle income family. This doesn’t even touch college tuition.

But $160.140 isn’t so bad if you break it down, wrote Ddhimaya. It translates into $8,896 (P49,817.60 ) a year, $741.38 (P41,517.28 ) a month, or $17108 (P9,580.48 ) a week. That’s a mere $24.24 (P1,354.44) a day! Just over a dollar (P56.00) an hour.

If you want to be "rich," you don’t have to have a child and spend all that money. But it is just the opposite. For you get so many joys from having a child – or children. Of course, you must plan how many children you can afford to have.

What do you get for $160,140? The joys are endless, but I will mention and paraphrase only a few.

Naming rights – First, middle, and last!

Glimpses of God everyday.

Giggles under the covers every night.

More love than your heart can hold

Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.

A hand to hold, usually covered with melted chocolate.

A partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sand castles, and skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.

You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.

You have all the power to scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost.

Enjoy your kids and grand kids!

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