Christmas remains my favorite season of the year. As a kid living in the province, I looked forward to having family members gather in one place — a different one each year. It was a time for me to get some real toys since, for the rest of the year, we hand-made DIYs using bamboos or tree branches or scavenged marbles. Arguably deprived in a way, my tiny mind understood.
Now, Christmas delivers an exciting challenge to gift-giving: what to give who, and how; individual or group; inexpensive or cheap (yep, I am that!); batteries or no batteries. And the mode of delivery, too. Not quite the galloping rush we were used to, there’s still a lot to consider.
Just the same, I feel the joy ripples in.
But first, a Christmas story and a song. My son, Andre, taking a short break from K-Pop music, played Ben & Ben’s most popular Christmas song, Bibingka, one coffee time.
Immediately, I recalled the time our favorite little neighbor, Pia, then 7, helped trim our Christmas tree. She took care of the lower area easily reached by her little hands while her Tito Andre covered the middle to the top.
Outside, I set up the lights. The highlight of the day was the lighting of the lights. Excitedly, Pia stood still in front of the house, waiting for the lights to come on. And as soon as they illumined her face, she sang a line from the song: “Nagsiawit ang mga anghel sa langit…!” Easily, it was one fine stuff that memories are made of.
I had a chance to tell the singer-composer of that song when Andre had him and their common friends over for coffee and guitar jamming. It tickled him. And Pia was on cloud nine.
Recent memories like this I still can grab from mother time. Last night, I pulled her out of her cocoon to witness our annual Christmas lighting. And she, now 10, obliged doing a remake of the singing.
The angels sang with us.
Cheers.
Start here.
If you’ve been touched, amused, or entertained by this post, or it put a smile on your face, please favor me with a cup of coffee. I will continue writing.
