A Christmas Carol: My Christmas Past, Present and Future

source: http://artfreaksew16.deviantart.com/art/Christmas-Carol-Poster-design-407320080

Part 1

So this heat made my drowsy eyes unable to succumb to sleep. The temperature adds to the burden of not being able to rest. So here I am left with nothing to do but to combat the atmosphere or think of something better.

In the play "A Christmas Carol" Ebenezer Scrooge was visited by three ghosts: Past, Present and Future. I was able to participate in a production directed by my classmate (King) in high school as our project in English. I was the person in charge of props while the main actor did one hell of a job portraying the role. Impressed until now! It was one of the event in  my young days wherein I can say, I'm proud. Since, I got nothing else to do let me visit the past, present and future. My Christmas Carol!

Christmas Past

We are not rich. Yes, I grew up as an OFW kid. I had the latest and greatest stuff. But my mom kept reminding me, "we are not rich". "We have nothing son!" I got used to this that frankly I got pissed and doubting since everyone is saying that my father has a good and high paying job. Well, yes! I live in a comfortable home with three meals a day. I studied in a public school during my elementary, a seminary in high school and college. But I never felt rich. Perhaps it was just merely the perception of people around us. I worked my butt off just like any regular kid. I got used to a Christmas without my father. Frankly, it was fine. It never bothered me. Mom always filled up his role in the family. There were times when he was there. I remember those. I remember because he would allow us to buy firecrackers for the new year. Mom always said, "No firecrackers if your father is not here, it is not safe". Hmm! Me and third brother would always find a way to buy. The only difference is when "tatay" is around he buys it and we do not spend our Christmas money. 

I miss those Christmas. I miss the whole family being together. My Most memorable of all was when everyone from my mother side spent the Christmas together. I could never forget it. It was fun to see my aunts and cousins. It was fun being a child at that time. Writing about it even makes me smile to this day. It was never the food that I remember but the people, my aunts and uncles drinking being happy with my grandfather and mother. It was the smiles that beamed on their cheeks. Their red faces when they laugh. I know my mother was very happy. I was. It was fun being with relatives. It is something that I definitely want to go back to. 

My Christmas past were never memories of lechon, cakes, etc. What I remember was the smile, the joy and indescribable feeling of warmth in being with your loved ones. It is the joy of being together being one, being a family. 

Looking back, I long for those Christmas. I long to be in the table with my aunts, uncles, grandfather and mother but most specially my mother. How I wish I can visit this part of my past to witness it like a child again. 

When my mother started to have cancer our Christmas started to change. I started to change. I started not to appreciate the joy of being together until she left us. 

I never grew up rich. Our Christmas was never about what's on the table but with who - being together!

end of part 1... to be continued

Dawn Mass: A confession of a Call Center Agent!

by: Silver Cepeda

The Christmas season started here in the Philippines since September. People would start counting as to how many days are left before that mythical date, December 25! But tomorrow the whole Catholic church would formally start it with the Simbang Gabi (Dawn Masses). 

When I was in the seminary dawn masses marked the beginning of my agony since I have to wake up earlier than the usual 5am.  Adding insult to injury the whole ordeal takes nine days. So I have to wake up early like four in the morning. I dreaded it! No one actually had a choice, it was either the chapel or the prefect of discipline's office. So it was the chapel. The prefect's office was not a good place to be. But then, the laziness that I felt that time would somehow disappear seeing people from the outside world. We would normally invite them for our dawn masses. Considering that they have to walk and wake up earlier than me, I would just suck it up and attentively attend mass. Our former rector would then tell us the reason why we have the dawn masses. I would say  for my four years of high school in the seminary I have memorized the explanation behind. According to him, "We celebrate the dawn masses as a symbol of waiting in the darkness. For the world was in darkness before Christ came into the world". Thus, when he came we were saved. We basked in the light of God's salvation. This is further symbolized by the sun rising up at the end of the mass. Perfect timing!

Now those days are over. I am in a call center or have been in a call center for the past five years. I have never attended a single dawn mass. There was one time when my former company held that. There were people who attended it. But I stayed a little bit far from them and just went up. I had choice this time. Thinking of it right now, I might admit that it was not a good decision. So for those Catholic call center agents. I am not endorsing the said practice. I am not that religious also. It's all up to you! Nevertheless, an idea crossed my mind right now. 

We work and sacrifice for those people that we love. I mean working at night is something, right? Something very hard to do! That is why we are paid higher compared to others. WE do this all for the sake of the people we love. There is a similar person who sacrificed for us two thousand and eleven years ago. He is Christ! He became man and lived among us. He saved us by dying on the cross. He died but lived again! So on this Christmas Season, I think it would also be appropriate to sacrifice for him by dragging our feet towards the church's doors. I know that I will!