My Christmas Day

We had the simplest Christmas this year ever. No, I am not complaining. In fact, I liked it that way. I liked the quietness this Christmas had. Although people would have been welcome if they knocked on our house yesterday, I appreciated the private time I had with the closest of the family. The parties leading to Christmas were far more fabulous, filled with food, beers, and games, and as always they had been fun and, well, intoxicating.

Every year, the people who come to our house have been decreasing. Probably, it started when my grandfather passed away many years ago. He had been well-loved by all his relatives, being the quiet, kind man that he was. Probably, it was because my aunt, who is miss congeniality, who lives next to our house is abroad. Probably, it was because my mother, who has always been the one in charge of entertaining visitors, is weak at this time. And probably there are other reasons. Nevertheless, it doesn't bother me. The few people who visited us here in the house were the closest and most well-meaning people. And they were the people I really want to see on Christmas day.

My mother cooked her specialty, her infamous spaghetti. The immediate members of the family shared that during breakfast, without much interruption. There were no kids running around whom we never actually know. My father's coffee and my mother's spaghetti---I had the best breakfast in the whole year. If there's a xerox toner who could replicate yesterday, I would have replicated it over and over again.

After breakfast, we had a video call with my aunt and cousin abroad. Living in Qatar, they also have a quiet Christmas there, and they were missing the family over here so much. For now, the video call would suffice. Being a Filipino and a Catholic, my aunt also prepared food for her family there, along with some Filipino friends, to celebrate Christmas day.

The highlight of the day was when Keng, the little girl in the post below, appeared in the terrace while we were all resting dressed up like a princess, with matching headdress. We are all crazy about her, to say the least, especially because we only get to be with her during this holiday season. When she and her family left at about 2 pm, we had our lunch.

For our lunch, we had the most delicious kare-kare in the whole world, cooked by my mother. Afterward, we just spent the day in the house in the most relaxed manner. As for me, I am just grateful I have my family with me on Christmas day.