With Christmas near
IN THE Philippines, the Christmas season is supposed to start in September, the first of the so-called “ber” months. That’s when we start hearing Christmas songs being played on radio and items for Christmas decorations start surfacing in malls and department stores. The practice had some people abroad considering our Christmas season as the longest in the world.
The problem with that notion is Nov. 1 and 2. For us in the family, it is awkward to focus on a joyous celebration starting in September when two months later would be All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, a solemn activity. Besides, our family are traditionalists when it comes to remembering the, and paying homage to, the dead. So we only start decorating for Christmas after All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
The Christmas season is strategically positioned in December obviously to cap our year with a joyous feeling. That’s something I want to savor this year considering how 2017 has played out for my family and me.
These are trying times for me both professionally and personally. I would leave out talks about career for now. But I have something to say about the challenges the family had to go through this year.
Two medical issues hit us. My wife had to undergo surgery to take out a stone-filled gall bladder. The technology for the procedure is advanced, ensuring that the scar left behind wouldn’t be long and looking ugly. But it is relatively expensive, especially for a patient whose medical insurance could only pay for consultations and lab tests.
Which reminds me of the advice of a former SunStar colleague when we were deciding on the amount that we would allow the company to deduct from our salaries for our medical insurance. At that time, some employees complained that the insurance is often unused. “Di gyud ta magtihik-tihik,” she said, “because who knows when we encounter health problems and need a big amount for a cure?”
My turn came two months later when a fly-borne infection downed me with fever and caused my lower right leg to swell. I spent six days in the hospital for that, which caused another dent on our finances.
As if those medical episodes weren’t enough, weeks later our bank changing our ATM cards resulted in the loss of my savings that I am still trying to recover.
After All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, I heard my wife say she lacked the urge to decorate the house for the yuletide season. I didn’t ask her why but told her days later to dust off the Christmas tree and the series lights.
The other day, the Christmas tree was finally up in our sala and the series lights wrapped around it have started to provide color to our nights.
This year, we have decided to forego some of our Christmas practices as we continue to straighten up our finances. But life is like that, there are ups and there are downs. Our prayers are that next year would be different and better. As for the Christmas season, this is precisely why it is positioned in December. Despite everything: there is still something in the year that we can be joyous about. Like the birth of hope.