Christmas is my favorite time of the year - a time where people are happier, friendlier and more excited. My Christmas has always been magical. I look forward to the great food shared with my family during Noche Buena as well as get excited to wrap and open gifts. I grew up believing in Santa Claus that as early as November we start writing our letters. Christmas mornings had left me breathless as I get my Christmas wish. It was just so wonderful that I was even more excited for Christmas than my own birthday.
However, life is not perfect. A lot of things happened. At the age of 10, my parents separated. At Age 15, I found out the truth about Santa Claus and at the Age 20, I started living on my own that most of the time I can't go home for Christmas because of work.
Despite everything, I had loved and cherished all my Christmas memories. As a young adult, I was trying so hard to bring back the Christmas joy. I decorated my little apartment by putting up a Christmas tree, dressed my dog in a Santa outfit and prepared the same food that my family usually prepares for Christmas. Unfortunately, it was not the same.
Later on, Christmas felt more like a chore where we just look forward to 13th month pays and Christmas bonuses. The season's highlights were just about Christmas shopping, company parties, and the dreaded Christmas rush. It is the time of the year where we notice that there is no more Christmas air. December just started to get warmer. Perhaps, I had lost the Christmas Spirit.
But 2016 is different. This year, I would like to thank my parents for giving me the best Christmas ever. After 22 years, I have finally celebrated Christmas again with my mom and dad.
We took a break from work and was able to fly home for Christmas.
We did not have many gifts. I did not write or wait for Santa Claus but I was complete. My parents are not back together and they still have their reasons for the separation but they have opted to spend Christmas because of me. So, Mama and Papa -Thank you for giving me the chance to have this treasured moment. Plus, a family picture that I could keep forever.
I realized that Christmas is not about material things. It is about being with your loved ones, being nice to others and celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
If you are just like me who has lost the Christmas spirit, don't lose hope. We all have the chance to find it again by searching for the true meaning of the season. Let us open ourselves to pleasant encounters, thoughtful deeds, and forgiveness.
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Aww I hope you had a merry christmas and happy new year. It can't have been easy all these years but your parents obviously care very much about you to have come back to all celebrate together.
ReplyDeleteI personally love Christmas but I know it can be a very lonely season of the year and hard on some people, but we can all help to perpetuate the non-material side of the christmas spirit.
Happy New Year!
CherriesSballet
Hi Bella! Yes, I had a great time during the holidays. I agree that we should all help perpetuate the non-material side but rather the true meaning of the season.
DeleteI didn't really believe in the whole Santa thing when I was younger but we celebrated anyway. When everyone grew up we kinda stopped but now that my nephew and nieces are here, we are celebrating it again =)
ReplyDeleteI hope your nephew and nieces enjoy it. I believe it should be part of everyone's childhood.
DeleteMy, I am surprised that you only found out about Santa Claus at 15!? But luckily for you that you found Christmas to be extra special last year. Hope it will be thus for you in the coming Christmases.
ReplyDeleteMy mom was very keen in keeping the secret. Despite all my classmates and neighbors telling me he is not real. I was just happy Santa Claus was there and did not believe them. I only found out the truth when I saw my mom shopping for my christmas wish.
DeleteI hope last Christmas is a wonderful Christmas in your life. Enjoy it, smile daily and happy all the time.
ReplyDeleteYes Lia. It was certainly wonderful. Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteI used to enjoy Christmas too then it left me with a sense of disappointment whenever it cam around because of my lack of friends and loving family members... but since I became a blogger, I found joy in it again... lol
ReplyDeleteI am glad you found joy again and wishing you the best this 2017.
DeleteWhat a cute dog in the picture. By the way, I agree with you that life is not perfect. A lot of things happened.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is all about joy.. i am glad you had a great Christmas... next year hopefully more wish will come true
ReplyDeleteWow that is so sweet. Merry Christmas
ReplyDeleteMerry Xmas and happy new year
ReplyDeleteI believe that Christmas should always in our heart and doesn't only be celebrate every December. Good luck to your journey and I hope you win this competition :)
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year! Creative post - love the GIF of the dog. :D I totally understand where you are coming from. I've lost love ones around Christmas time and it just isn't the same, and probably never will be. But I can start new traditions with my own family. Good luck! :)
ReplyDeleteI admire you for being so strong despite the challenges in life. I know God has a perfect plan for you. God bless you and your family.
ReplyDeleteMhaan | www.mommyrockininstyle.com
Nothing more important than getting to see your parents come together for a occasion after a separation. I can understand what it means to you. And they did it for your shows their unconditional love for you. It's an amazing feeling. Although Christmas is long gone, after reading your post it feels like it was just yesterday!!
ReplyDeleteIt's not the gifts, or the parties. When it all comes down to it, it's the meaning that makes a difference. Because your parents chose to be with you together, then that gave meaning to Christmas. But the reality is this. If you were to spend time together on any other given day, other than Christmas, then those special moments would beat Christmas day.
ReplyDeleteGlad to know that someone found the Xmas spirit.. Happy and merry Xmas!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year dear and what a lovely post you have written :) Good to know that Christmas holds a very special place for you too.
ReplyDeleteYou learned the truth about santa pretty late, 15 years old?! I have learned about it pretty early, I think I was about 7. But then again, my parents didn't really make the effort to make us believe in santa so it was easy to not believe in him.
ReplyDeleteEven so, I also love Christmas. I think I will live up until my 70s and still love it. There is just something about this holiday that gives me a warm feeling.
I'm happy that you get to spend Christmas with your family last year, and with both your parents despite their separation. I think it is so big of them to think about their children before their own.
I seriously got teary-eyed while reading the part where you get to celebrate Christmas with your parents. I am happy for all of you. I also commend them for giving you a happy childhood especially during Christmas season. Not all children get to receive gifts, and be happy and all. Life is really not that easy. Everything depends on how we handle it.
ReplyDeleteI felt sad reading your post. But I was glad that in the end you had something happy to share about the past Christmas that you had. That is indeed a wonderful Christmas present! I rejoice with you for that, Clarice! :) I pray that you have more bonding moments with your parents in the future.
ReplyDeleteAawww! The first lines from your blog makes me kinda sad. Im sorry to hear that you have to go through the pains of having your parents separated at a very young age. That's just something i couldn't take or perhaps would take years before i could finally accept is ever it will happen. However i admire how strong you were all these years. Glad that the past year has been a great year for you to celebrate the Christmas spirit once again and i can feel your happiness for having both your parents together with you on the holidays. That was awesome! Cheers to the new year!
ReplyDeleteHello, I am happy to know that you were able to spend your Christmas with your parents. My parents also separated when I was in Highschool and since then, we have celebrated holidays with just my mom. Christmas is also my favorite time of the year (because of the bonuses from work and I have a reason to pig out, hehe). But I agree, Christmas season can be stressful because of the traffic. I am happy for you, cheers!
ReplyDeleteI can feel you. Since my father died and my siblings got married, it is only my mom and I who are in the house. It is lonely. Last Christmas was not good since my mom and I got a misunderstanding that lasted up to the first week of January. Anyway, that was a blessing in disguise. The situation opened my heart and my eyes how important I am to my mom.
ReplyDeleteOh I'm very happy that you were able to experience the true essence of Christmas, yes indeed it's not all about material things but the love we shared to our family and friends. Godbless
ReplyDeleteThis is so lovely! I have to admit that like you, I have rather lost the Christmas spirit. When I was younger it was great but my parents don't get on quite so well anymore and the family spirit is just gone. Seeing this has inspired me that it doesn't matter how many years you wait, you can regain that Christmas spirit!
ReplyDeleteI love Xmas too! It's my favorite festive of the year. Thanks for sharing your personal story, enjoy reading it. That's really lovely to enjoy celebration together :) cheers, SiennyLovesDrawing
ReplyDeleteMy family aren't really into the Christmas celebration, we prefer quiet family bonding time at home. So Christmas feels like any other normal day for us.
ReplyDeleteAww this is nice. I've always loved Christmas because my family would always be together hehe. But it looks like you had a great time! Hope it's like this for thr following celebrations too!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like yo had a very nice christmas during your childhood. So sorry for the separation fo your parents, but it is so good that it did not come over you! It shows that you have a very strong character and an iron will! Have a great 2017!
ReplyDeleteFor us, celebrating Christmas with our families is really a great tradition. So glad to hear that you are happy last Christmas. I guess home is wherever you and your family are. :)
ReplyDeleteI can truly relate with what you have experienced in life. My parents got rifted when I was 13 and they both just left us without even a doubt of leaving us,but I have started my life on own since that day. I remember when I went back home on the year 2013, I was blessed to have met my mother with her another family and I spent Christmas with them. It was a horrible life I had experienced as well, but I'm still thankful for having my parents, though I only once have met my father right after he left us and he's now happily living with his own family. Merry Christmas friend and have a prosperous 2017.
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