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BY SONIA D. DAQUILA
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Christmas
IT’S HERE. It’s December! The atmosphere carries a happy message in the malls where Christmas songs blare and everywhere colors of red, green, gold, and silver dominate. People are so busy buying things for the celebration. In the rural areas, it’s simple but meaningful.
December is a solid 31 days of nonstop, happy waiting for something new, a new year full of hope, new challenges, new some things.
Christmas always brings happy occasions and funny or melancholic memories. As a kid, I used to ask Nanay why my classmates received from Santa Claus toys from the socks they hung. I also hung socks but they were never visited by Santa at all.
With sadness, she would tell me that Santa could not visit our family because his reindeers and sleigh would destroy our windows and small, old house, if ever he descends from heaven.
Having my own kids, my husband and I would secretly laugh when our three-year-old eldest son, Rey Alfred, would shout at dawn “Thank you, Tanta! Balik ka ha!” That went on until he was five.
He one time confronted us, “Why are Santa’s toys from a department store?”
Dad tried to reason out that Santa bought some toys because he gave toys to many children. We finally decided to reveal to him the truth.
Christmas and gifts mean more. These can be given out easily. The best things in life are free: forgiveness, understanding, sensitivity to other’s situations and needs, a touch, a show of genuine concern, even just a smile.
Happy holidays! (delsocorrodaquila@gmail.com/PN)
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