Now the healing can begin

SHARON Cuneta (center) with “The Voice Kids” winners, Lyca Gairanod (left) and Elha Nympha

IT’S now three days after the recent national elections. To the winners, my heartiest congratulations! To those who didn’t emerge triumphant this time, you fought a good fight.

The goal now for the short term is for healing to begin. These elections have been highly divisive, the heat of which was very evident on social media. We now question our friendships with those whose candidates differ from ours. Strong opinions are widely shared, which at times have made others, for lack of a better word, pikon (supersensitive).

Allow me to use the words of friend and fellow Inquirer columnist Cathy Sanchez-Babao, which she posted on her Facebook page on Tuesday: “Before we heal as a nation, mourning needs to take place. Mourning is not the same as grief because mourning is the outward expression of grief. Looking at the numbers tonight, it’s clear that as half the nation rejoices, the other half grieves.

“Thus, the first order of the day before we can all get to a place of healing, is to mourn. Cry it out, talk it out, write it out. Wail, rant, talk about it for as long as you want, in a group or with a trusted friend. Don’t wrack your brains for a ‘meaning,’ because often that will come later on. Be kinder and more patient with yourself in the following week than you usually are.

“To the winners, please be aware of sensitivities. Celebrate, but do not gloat. If it’s change that you really want, then it must begin with you reaching out to the hurting. Be the bigger person, that’s how the healing can begin.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

New ‘Voice’ coach

It is now that time to officially welcome our newest “The Voice Kids” coach, the one and only Megastar, Ms Sharon Cuneta. There were many names being tossed around when we were notified that Sarah Geronimo wouldn’t be joining us for the coming season. Sure, we are sad, but we wish her the best and do hope that she makes a return in the future.

However, I have a good feeling that Sharon will be a fantastic coach. She started her career as a child star, bursting onto the scene with the Rey Valera-penned hits, “Mr. DJ” and “Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko.” She recorded many more hits, then began her film career, which really launched her into the stratosphere. She has grown into one of our finest actors and singers, her portrayals heartfelt and sincere.

The next batch of kids in our show can only benefit from her experience, wisdom and humor. And the rest of us will have the best time watching her share everything with these up-and-comers. Who knows, maybe one of them will follow in her footsteps someday!

Dearest Shawie, welcome to our show, and I hope you have a fantastic time! Let your voice be heard!

GoT fandom

Spoilers contained herein! If you haven’t gotten to Season Five of “Game of Thrones” (GoT) yet, stop reading now.

My butt has been firmly planted on the couch in front of my TV, because it’s time once again for my favorite show, HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

When we left the last season, Jon Snow, Lord High Commander of The Knight’s Watch, was brutally murdered. All of GoT fandom was mortified (yours truly included), but there were those that weren’t too concerned.

Immediately after the episode aired, social media lit up like a Christmas tree. “Melisandre (Carice van Houten) is there … Jon can’t be dead forever.”

However, the show’s creators and Kit Harington, the actor who plays the popular character, all said that Jon would be returning to the show, as a corpse. Well, no one was pulling the wool over our eyes. But near the end of the second episode, the moment Jon’s faithful direwolf Ghost began to stir, we knew. We all knew.

The fandom totally called it, and we couldn’t be happier.

Now, I’m curious to see what’ll happen to Daenerys, Arya (who’s now a girl with no name), Sansa and Theon, and the Lannisters.

On a side note, it gives me a bit of a thrill to see one time “Miss Saigon” costar Jonathan Pryce as the High Septon.

His scenes are probably the only times I get pulled out of the fantasy, half expecting for him to break into song and dance.

There are only seven episodes to go. You know where I’ll be when they air.