Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

It's a little past midnight and I'm unbelievably in front of George (my desktop) [and don't ask why it's George, maybe Miguel will blog about that someday].

Before I go blah, blah... MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

A year ago today I was hearing mass at one of my Kuya's friend's house in Jakarta. We just got in from Bali, dropped our bags at my Kuya's home and went straight out to hear mass. I'd say it's one of the most meaningful Christmas masses I've had in my life. Being far away from home multiplies the effect you see, by the end of the mass everyone was bawling while singing "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit". I'm pretty sure a lot of Filipino communities all over the world are longing to be home for this very special occasion. (My heart goes out to all those hard-working OFWs and Filipino expats who are far away from home, hugs to all and may you have a happy Christmas).

Christmas is quite incomplete this year because my brother and his family did not make it home from Jakarta. I miss my nephews and nieces and all their kakulitan. A lot of my friends are also far away since a number of them are already abroad. I miss hopping from one house to another just to greet my Titos and Titas after hearing Christmas mass. I'll miss having to wake up early for the morning service as well.

I'd say this is one of my quieter Christmases. A lot of my Christmas routines may have been broken this year (add the fact that I wasn't able to go to Divisoria and Greenhills) because of a lot of circumstances, I'd say (and that's why I got all teary-eyed while hearing mass earlier) that it's been truly a blessed year (details on a year-end post which I'll do later this week) and this is a very different Christmas from all the Christmases I've had the past decade (a decade worth of Christmas blues).

Happy Christmas to you and Happy Birthday to the one who saved us all, J.C.