I know I’m a little late. Now that it’s already 2017… but I am sure we still can’t get enough of Christmas. I KNOW I AM and still even wearing my Christmas sweater with reindeer and snowflakes in it like right now.
Everyone can relate when I say that before Christmas, we were all wishing for the days to go fast, 100 days countdown seems like such a long time and baaam December 25 is here. Just like that… then wishing the day won’t never end. Of course we can’t do anything and it’s okay because there’s New Year to save us from the approaching post holidays blues and now oh well. Reality is here. We are so back to our normal lives whether we like it or not. Let’s just have a toast people. Cheers… and cheer up!
It’s my first Christmas here in my new home… I have mentioned in my previous posts that before the month of December I was having blues. Honestly, I don’t know what to expect this Christmas. I’m sure it will be different and I’m sure I will be missing the Christmas I have always known. The kind of Christmas that starts at the midnight of September 1st. It is when everyone’s greeting you and the Christmas carols you start hearing literally everywhere.
We all know that we Filipinos take the Christmas business very seriously. We are such a happy people and Christmas is like our specialty as a nation. Being more than 86% of our population as Christians it is without doubt we go crazy with Christmas. Anthony Bourdain even visited Manila during this season to see the true colors of the Philippines. If you ask me, it would be red and green (not blue, red and yellow as shown in our flag).
Me and my husband decided to have 2 Christmas days. He got two days off because Christmas eve and DAY fell on the weekend. So we got December 23 as our own Christmas day to spend with each other then December 24-26 will be spend with our family- my husband’s side.
Unlike in the Philippines, the Christmas here starts the midnight after Thanksgiving. Maybe it is why I was feeling a little down weeks before Thanksgiving. My mind maybe knows in subconscious level that something is missing. I am so used to feeling the Christmas spirit a lot earlier. Lol, talking about body clock maybe there’s also a “holiday body clock”?
I felt a lot cheery when the house was finally decorated with Christmas ornaments. It just does something to your soul in ways I can’t truly understand. The spirit of Christmas is finally here. The air is just different and totally transforming. It sorta wakes up that giggly child inside you… aren’t we all like kids on Christmas?
My husband actually made a lot of effort. He knows this Christmas will be specially hard for me. So he did his best to make me excited by his evil smart schemes. Not necessarily evil of course but yes- smart. He started with this one and placed it under our Christmas tree.
I can’t believe he said that it’s a rock. Is he just playing or fooling me around? I mean… come on, maybe it’s really a rock inside (not really a substantial gift) or might be a special rock (a really good looking one perhaps) or maybe it’s empty… or it could be something else. A totally different thing and a “rock” doesn’t really mean anything. See.. he is so evil. Toying with my thoughts and emotions. Why can’t he just be a normal man and do not write anything on gifts. Maybe just my name and that’s it.
The only good on what he did was of course it made me feel so excited. Makes me forget somehow that it will be my first Christmas away from my home country. That it will be different here… and I should embrace it. Why dwell on something that you know it will make you unhappy. It is my choice to live here and be with my husband… it may be has unhappy consequences to it but hey that’s life.
Also, it will be sweeter one day. Just think how special it will be if I go home in Philippines and spend the Christmas there again (the much awaited Noche Buena). I know I should be looking more to the brighter side. We may be always tied to our home country (in heart, mind and soul) but spending another way of Christmas is also a very interesting experience. How the other culture celebrate it. To see it through their eyes.
So if you know someone working or living abroad. Do drop them a message. Christmas is the hardest time for them to be away from their first home, family and friends. It will mean a lot to them especially with the first timers. It’s not always bright and shiny abroad, we do entertain sadness and its occasional visits. It is like our annoying friend. There are just so much feels.
You cannot deny the longing but also try to not dwell on it. Learn to balance… like dancing gracefully at the center of the storm. We all know there’s certain calmness in there. It helped me that I didn’t set high expectations at all (so there’s no way to disappoint). I want to be fair to my husband and also to be honest with myself.
I truly enjoyed my first Christmas here in the United States. It is different and I think that makes it special. It’s not because I have received a lot of gifts this time but it’s more because of the people around me (physical and online) helped me in different ways they can. It is the perfect time to feel how much blessed you are and be completely thankful. A grateful heart I believe always begets, attracts, absorbs and radiates happiness (whew-that’s a lot of words). So I am truly happy and there’s just no way I can describe it and that ladies and gentlemen I think is the best way to describe it. Lol.
I have prepared 2 parts of my Christmas entry because I am just so full of words. I want to share both my feelings and the experience. So bear with me. Part 2 is all about the experience and what we did this Christmas. So keep tuning…
Much love,
Anna
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