Lizada: Different

AS I write this it is December 25, 12:30 in the afternoon. It is quiet. If things were normal we would be in the house of my wife’s relatives for the traditional lunch. But things are not normal. Things are different and it is not so bad really.

We completed the novena masses, online. We had noche buena although it almost never happened because the restaurant we ordered from messed up badly. (I let that go. Christmas.) Before that, we attended online mass. Instead of having everyone during the Christmas dinner, there were three of us. The Chinese ham was absent because we could not find any. And I did not want to go around the supermarkets. Instead, we ordered ham from a relative and it was good. After dinner, we went to the prayer room and placed Baby Jesus in His crib and we prayed. This time it was also different, it actually was better because there was peace.

You see in normal times when we were done with the Mass, the whole family would gather around the crib in the church and we would pray. I have to say the crib prayer this year was more meaningful primarily because we did it at our very own prayer room. Our children gave us gifts. And we gave them their lives. (In short no gifts. We told them next year na) Before sleeping we did a short video call via Messenger, just to greet everyone. After that, we all went to bed. To watch Netflix. We are in the middle of Vikings but I thought it would not be appropriate to watch the slashing and marauding epic on Christmas eve. So we ended up with Klaus, an animation. Nice.

When we woke up December 25 it was cloudy and cool. Perfect. Breakfast was ham and I suspect it will be that for the next several days. Christmas may be different but certain things remain.

Usually, after breakfast, I settle down and watch my once a year Christmas movie, My Fair Lady. Not this year. I have not decided what to watch later but I will. Die Hard seems like a nice option. Or Home Alone. Anyway.

Right now it is only Chona and me at home. Gabriel is with his fiancee and her relatives. (Yes he is getting married soon.) Raphael is busy taking pictures of his daughter. (Yes, grandparents na kami.) And Miguel is out of the country. (Told him not to come home muna.)

Aside from my wife who was spared from making her traditional fruit salad, we have our two dogs lounging with us. It is quiet, it is different.

The frenzy and noise of past Christmas are absent, instead, there are quiet and serene Christmas songs. There are less gifts but more blessings. There is not much food but there is nourishment of the soul. There are less carols but more of prayers. There is less taking but more of giving. Less noise, more of silence. Less sales but more abundance. Less parties but more of gathering. Much like the first Christmas.

Silence. Quiet. Peace. We all needed a Christmas like this. To remind us, to make us remember what we have forgotten. Christ. Happy Christmas.