31/12/2025
Letter to the editor.
The sun has set. For some, a new day has already begun. For others, darkness came long before light. Still, we stand here embracing the new year, anticipating what lies ahead. A pause between what was and what is coming.
Whether you are Catholic, Christian, an old believer, or someone who came to faith later in life, this moment still matters. Old year and new year is still a big deal. Not just celebration, but reflection.
Though we may have tried to examine ourselves with some resolutions we already know we are not going to uphold, this moment still stands. Promises to ourselves we know we may not keep. Some we will try and lose along the way. Some of us will choose to do things differently with the intention to improve ourselves or others, and some will complete the race. To those who wrote goals and never dared to raise a toast because you are aware you need improvement, I raise a toast again, quietly.
Some of us do not care and are still living a bad life. Dealing drugs. Carrying guns. Hurting people. Living gang life. Beating your woman. But if you have a child, I pray Christmas made you pause. That the Christ Child made you reflect. That Mary showed you selfless sacrifice. That Joseph showed you responsibility and maturity. He accepted his role and took care of the Christ Child.
I can write about all the negatives. Murder rates. Politics. Violence. I can go on and on. My life has known struggle as well. But growth requires letting go. Growth requires taking inventory of ourselves, not how the world defines us, but how we examine ourselves as human beings. As the Spirit leads if you are Christian, or as conscience leads in this world.
I asked myself if I still want to write. If I still want to speak to the masses, even if it is only the two percent who are awake. I almost stopped. But I am still compelled to share my thoughts, my work, and my passion for writing.
I am not going to embrace a past filled with negativity.
It is painful that we have experienced so many homicides, vehicular deaths, sudden deaths, and even pastors passing. It feels like a war on our nation.
I am not here to preach, though sharing light has always been a quiet passion of mine.
I see myself as a house on a hill. From a distance you may see darkness. That is me. Not perfect. Still failing at times. But when you are surrounded by darkness, even the slightest ray from a flickering light is light. It is hope. It is a lifeline.
Many Dominicans speak words of doom. We speak negativity over leaders and over our own lives. I am no different. I have uttered words I should not have. But as one year closes and another begins, two words echo in my spirit. Prayer and faith.
This is my prayer:
That when we speak over our nation, negativity ends with the old year. That in the new year, the words we utter carry light. Over leaders, opposition, and those currently in office.
That no more blood is shed and no more lives are taken, because the earth cries out.
That leaders understand their roles. Whether applauded or rejected, if they believe they were called to serve or placed in office to serve, then they must serve.
That we stop judging one another. That we remove the plank from our own eyes before looking for the speck in our brother’s.
Children must be children. We pray they are protected and not abused. As parents and as a society, our responsibility is to guard innocence, not expose it. We pray honestly for children who have been harmed, because God hears their cries.
Public service must include faith with works. Faith without works is dead. But we work as we work, as unto the Lord, not for recognition, not for power, not for applause. Service is proven by action, not by words.
Let us pray for families and children mourning the deaths of brothers, sons, and fathers.
But most of all, let us pray for God to search hearts and souls after righteousness, especially in public office. Not by words, but by deeds.
There is so much more I could write. But as the old year fades and the new one begins, I pray we remember who we are as Dominicans. A God-fearing nation. Rich in culture. A loving people.
As we step forward, whether in light or still walking through darkness, we move ahead with hope, with responsibility, and with faith.
Happy New Year.
