Ligaya at Christmastime
Tagalog | English
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Jayson
Noong paglipat dito sa Canada, yung sa bahay sa Maple Ridge ang biggest Christmas tree na nabili. May malaking window sa sala at bumili si Mama ng mga window stickers. Pinadikit niya sakin ang karamihan.
Tapos may project sa art class—gumawa kami ng angel out of wires and paper maché and sprayed with gold paint. Nakikita mo sa picture, nasa ilalim ng Christmas tree at sinabitan ng candy cane.
Through the years, ako ang naglalabas ng Christmas tree. Nakikita na lang ni Mama nakaayos na. Separate pa lahat ng ornaments and lights. Every year, matrabaho; pagligpit, same effort din. Ako ang gumagawa hanggang unti-unti, tinamad na. Pag wala pa, magsasabi na si Mama: ilabas na yung Christmas tree.
Dalawang beses nag upgrade to fibre optic tree—yung nakalagay na ang lights and decor. Stand and plug na lang.
Rosie
Memories talaga. Nakuwento nga niya sakin na ikaw nga daw ang naglalagay ng Christmas tree at ikaw din ang nagliligpit. Matiyaga ka daw kasi.
Tinatamad daw siya.
Buti meron matiyaga—ikaw nga. Masaya siya sa Christmas tree na naayos mo.
Jovert
By November each year, Mama’s Christmas shopping would be well underway. You’d find her wrapping presents on top of the kitchen counter under the stark fluorescent lights. And she did her wrapping with the efficiency you'd expect from an experienced and generous giver.
Like clockwork, she'd tell me she has plenty of wrapping paper to spare if I need some for my own presents. Initially, I'd decline. Inevitably, though, I would cheap out of buying my own wrapper and ask her for some. She would then rise from the couch and retrieve rolls from the linen closet or from under her bed. She would also offer sticker tags because she'd have plenty of those as well.
If Christmas is about giving, then Mama truly embodied its meaning. She had a gift for everyone: friends, coworkers, nieces, nephews, grandkids. She usually gave me 2 or 3!
Of course, as someone who gave a lot of gifts, she also received in kind. When it came time to open presents on Christmas Eve—or Christmas morning (we could never decide on our family's official gift opening day)—hands down, Mama always ended up with the biggest pile!
And she was usually delighted with whatever she was given. Her heart was so full of gratitude; however, this is not to say she did not practice regifting! 😜
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