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Manila Bulletin devider Opinion devider The hymn of hope that is Christmas

The hymn of hope that is Christmas

Published Dec 8, 2023 04:08 pm

IT'S THE SMALL THINGS

alex eduque.jpeg

It is the second of week of December – Christmas is truly here again! Though to be honest it sounds quite redundant saying that given that we Filipinos have been celebrating since September came around. I write this on a long haul flight en route back to Manila from a short two week trip abroad.

Although spending Christmas away also has its own charm, there is always something joyous and extra special about celebrating Christmas back home – especially for those of us who live away from home most of the year. The holidays are truly the best time for homecoming, and fellow Filipino passengers and overseas workers aboard my same flight seem to be in accordance with me.


In the same light, because of all the festivities that come with Christmas, one cannot also help but reminisce. For some, it can be a melancholic sort of times thinking about memories that once were. I remember the first Christmas after losing my grandparents. I seemed at a loss because up until then, all our holiday plans revolved around them. To be very honest, Christmas has never been the same; a puzzle piece still sometimes feels amiss, but that is not to say however that we have not tried to continue tradition and grow with the changes in the years that followed. We have learned to be grateful for that rich bank of memories we have and continue to cherish. The memories that bring an unparalleled feeling of nostalgia, and that one day, will become stories we hope to share with our children. Truly, Christmas is a time that rings our hearts hopeful, and brings us back in time to our most cherished of moments.


After the year that has been (more of that to come in my end of the year reflection) this Christmas is truly a blessed one for me as we expect to welcome a son in March. That being said, it is also my last Christmas before becoming a full fledged parent, and in as much as that thought is overwhelming, I also am ecstatic to once again revel in the season through the eyes of a child – to make new memories with my family with our newest addition to come. So as we dive right into the frenzy of the holidays, here is our reminder to relish in the moment and make new Christmas memories wherever we may find ourselves this year. That it is okay to look back and reminisce, but let us heed the hymn of our hopeful hearts, and make new memories.

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Alex M. Eduque IT'S THE SMALL THINGS
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