TWO weeks ago, government employees already received their much awaited 14th month pay. Some private companies have also started giving the Christmas bonuses to their employees. This is the time when people begin their Christmas shopping for their kids and gifts for their "inaanaks" and loved ones.
And then I began to reflect on the reality that things have indeed changed now that we are adults and have our own kids. Gone are days when we would ponder so hard on what gift to ask from Santa Claus, or the days when our parents would buy us new clothes and shoes for Christmas and New Year. When I started working, Christmas became a time for me to be on the other end of the rope. I was already the one giving gifts to my family, godchildren, and workmates. Now, it's actually our turn to buy clothes and new stuff for our two kids, and most probably forget our own wish list this Christmas.
That's when I realized that Christmas is not for adults, it is really for kids. It is because older people especially those who are working will somehow fret a bit since they have to save up for the gift-giving. This is why most of us really look forward to our bonuses and 13th month pays so we could also buy ourselves something that we really want for Christmas like maybe a new cellphone, a new accessory, a new bag, or a new appliance.
My Christmas wish for this year is for my family is for them to always be healthy, for them to be able to enjoy everything that they need to experience while growing up, and for them to be good children. That, as a parent, I may always find ways to be able to give what they truly need, and that I will always have the strength and patience to be the best mother that they will ever have. That, together with my husband, we can work together to give our children the best life possible.
This means that even without money to buy all the material things that we usually long for during Christmas, we can celebrate Christmas. My hope is that, each and every one of us, will come to realize that the reason that we are celebrating is the coming of our savior Jesus Christ to save us from all our indifferences and sins, so that we may be worthy of God's infinite love and promise of forgiveness. This is the real meaning of Christmas.