Merry Christmas

“Last Christmas I gave you my heart but the very next day you gave it away. This year to save me from tears, I’ll give it to someone special.” So goes a very familiar song of Wham which was released in 1984.

It was also in 1984 that I started attending the Misa de Gallo with the intent of completing it. Although in my younger years I had memories of joining my parents with my siblings in Misa de Gallo in Sta. Ana church. But it was a very rare happening especially that in my younger years I hated to wake up very early.

When I fell in love with God in 1983 through the Charismatic movement, I started to be mindful of my Christmas. So, it was in 1984 that Christmas becomes meaningful to me. There is always something in Christmas that makes me happy and gay. So, I guess and I believe that all my Christmases were happy and enjoyable until that year 1997 because my father left us for heaven in October of that year due to kidney complications. That was my saddest Christmas, ever. In the following years, I became matured and wise. I tried to rationalize the celebration and I would always associate it with my childhood years. And there were always memories of my father, my life in Bangoy Street, my childhood friends, my elementary and high school classmates and friends. Those people became part of my Christmas memories.

This year, I will try to remember what I did last Christmas. Here it goes: Last Christmas I held a Christmas party in the Maa city jail for my students who are female inmates. I staged a Christmas Bazaar in the parking area of Sta. Ana church for the commentators and lectors treasury. And most importantly I completed the nine-day Misa de Gallo. There was that countless reunions and gatherings which would soar-high my sugar level and Christmas party held here and there and everywhere. There was also the traditional manita/manito at home which has become ordinary to me but not to my nieces who are always excited during the bunot-bunot of names (choosing in random the names of the manita or manito). Plus the traditional family dinner every first day of January held anywhere in Davao City – fancy resto or fine dining exclusive bistro. All these activities made up my 2017 Christmas celebration.

What will be my Christmas this year? Well, Christmas will be gone before I know it, and there is no pleasure today like adding to the memories. Merry Christmas to my readers!