Pit Señor 2022: Soar like eagles

Nothing can stop devotees from celebrating this year's Feast of the Sto. Niño in their own way, in their hearts.

This third Sunday of January, instead of the traditional procession and fluvial parade, the Sto. Niño will be transported through designated areas, allowing the devotees to worship the passing Sto. Niño, subject to COVID-19 health protocols.

No Grand Sinulog performances, no influx of local/global tourists.

COVID-19/Odette may have tempered the secular celebration for this fiesta but no virus or disaster can ever stop the sacred celebration for the beloved Sto. Niño.

Not just in Cebu, but elsewhere and despite so much sorry landscape left barren and smashed by super typhoon Odette, devotees will surely ask our dear Sto. Niño to rekindle our hope, to increase our faith that our affected people/communities will soon rise up/heal, and, rebuild anew.

The continuing/simultaneous/multiple crises faced by all here and abroad can bring so much hopelessness/despair or renewed hope/faith, especially to the most affected.

Amidst extremely difficult challenges, may all be inspired by Sto. Niño to soar like eagles, like the taxi driver who claimed the power of choice in this following inspiring story posted on FB by Architect Joy Martinez Onozawa and paraphrased below as follows:

A passenger at an airport in Dubai was surprised to see a cab pull up, "polished to a bright shine" and the driver "smartly dressed in a white shirt/black tie /freshly pressed black slacks", who "jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door."

The passenger was surprised again when the taxi driver, Abdul, handed him "a laminated card with this mission statement: "To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment."

Inside Abdul's cab, also "spotlessly clean", Abdul offered him coffee from a thermos and when the passenger jokingly said he preferred lassi, Abdul smiled and said "no problem."

After receiving lassi, Abdul a.) Offered the passenger: a newspaper of his choice and "another laminated card" that noted "the stations/the music they play," b.) Asked if the passenger liked "to listen to the radio or to chat about some of the sights, or preferred to be left with his own thoughts," c.) Asked if the aircon temperature was comfortable, and, d.) Advised him "of the best route to his destination for that time of day."

The amazed passenger asked "'have you always served customers like this?'"

And Abdul's insightful/inspiring reply:

"No, not always, only in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard about power of choice one day, that you can be a duck or an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd. That hit me. Really hard.

It is about me. I was always quacking/complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle.

I looked around at the other dirty cabs, the unfriendly drivers, the unhappy customers and decided to make some changes, slowly, a few at a time. When my customers responded well, I did more.

My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. My customers call me for appointments or leave a message on my cell phone."

Abdul made a different choice, the real meaning of life- improve yourself/your skills in a different way. Be an eagle... not a duck.

"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

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