A Different Christmas

Year 2008 is really a different Christmas for me.

December 2008 is very hectic. It was already the 3rd week of the month, yet I am still having a business trip. I needed to report to work until December 22 and I needed to work after that, at home, even though I am on vacation leave. I had more limited time for my personal errands and I needed to rush everything.

I also have a different approach for Christmas 2008. Years earlier, I was always the one who initiates Christmas greetings through SMS. I always make sure that I was the first one to greet people first through SMS. I compose my own Christmas greeting and put every member of the family as 'sender' in the SMS. Besides, I make sure that I greet everybody, sending Christmas greeting SMS's to all the contacts in my phonebook.

This year, I changed. I lost the zest to greet everybody. I only initiated an SMS to my family and to my friends in Indonesia. I only replied those who greeted me with a simple "Merry Christmas, (name of sender)!", without any special message at all--- a sign of respect to those who made the effort to greet me, except, of course, those people whom I did not expect would greet me, and those who have additional questions in their SMS. At least my greeting is so short and simple but it comes from the heart! Besides, I got a chance to prove who really are sincere in sending their Christmas SMS's to me. I have recorded them all in my inbox! :)

This year is also the Christmas season when I didn't care much about the expenses. It was not about the gifts but it's about the needs of my family, especially my mom. I contributed more for the food, compared to the previous years. Also, I just asked her what she needs for a gift. I believe she already have all the material things she wants so I just asked her what she needs more. It was then assured that what I will give her will be very useful for her.

This year is also the first time when I gave my kids the liberty to buy what they want from their 'aginaldo'. Since they were born, I always deposit in their bank accounts all the money they received for Christmas, and even money received from other special occassions and ordinary days. Even the Christmas gift checks from my company, I convert it to cash and deposit them in their individual bank accounts. No wonder why "they even have more savings than me", as what my husband says! :)

But this year, I believe they have already matured a little and they must enjoy what they earn...of course at a limited cost only! hehe! They are just allowed to buy something at a certain amount, probably the gift checks they got from the Ninong's and Ninang's and the rest will still be deposited to their bank accounts. I gave them the liberty to spend but they are still being trained about the value of money.

These are only a few differences I observed this year. Is it because I am getting older? Or is it due to the changes happening around me?

Well, whatever the reason may be, the only thing that did not change is that I still spend Christmas (and New Year) with my family here in my hometown in Los Banos. We never spent the holiday in Las Pinas because it is not 'where' you spend the holiday but it should be more on the 'how' and 'with whom' you spend Christmas with!

28december2008

21:27 hrs