Christmas always bring out the finest in each and one of us. I remember as a child, people are always pleasant during this time of the year. Everyone has a smile to spare, a hug for everyone, and a passion for giving. I have always cherished this season.
To my surprise, Christmas is celebrated here in Sydney during the month of July. I woke up last Saturday (29th of July) and voila… got a big hug and kiss from my husband who was wishing me a MERRY CHRISTMAS! To add to my astonishment, he has purchased a PSP with a Tinkerbelle design on its playgear. The reason behind his gift was that I told him that I would get myself one after using his PSP non stop for 2 days!
This made me remember my most cherished Christmas. I was very young then, about 7 or 8 yrs old. My parents asked me to write a letter to Santa Clause and ask for anything I want, and since I was a good girl, surely he would give me my present. I excitedly asked for a pink hi-cut boots! [It was so in season then =)] I was so excited on the eve of Christmas that I could hardly fall asleep.
Finally Christmas morning, I jumped out of bed and run towards our living room and looked under the tree for Santa’s gift. I was very confused because my gift from Santa was in a small box. I knew my shoes wouldn’t fit in such small package. I slowly opened my gift to find a beautiful crafted pink watch. I was devastated! In spite of the beauty of the watch I was holding, I was heartbroken for not getting my desire. I was blinded from all the other gifts for tears started falling from my eyes. I couldn’t care less what the others gave me, for I didn’t get my shoes.
My father, who was then watching the whole incident, slowly took hold of my hand and brought me out to our garden for a walk. He told me a story of a young boy who had to clean shoes just to get himself thru college, of a young girl who had to work during the day at the hospital just to be able to study at night…life struggles of my parents when they were growing up…
He made me realize how fortunate I am to have a mom and a dad who loves me so much, to have food on my plate every single day, to have the opportunity to go to school, and to have so many toys that it fills my entire room. My dad said Santa went to so many troubles just to give me a watch and for that big endeavor, I should be thankful. It is not about the gift but the effort given to make that gift possible. It would break Santa’s heart to see that I couldn’t even muster a smile and a simple ‘Thank You.’
That special day opened my eyes and heart to a lot of things. I became appreciative of everything that comes my way. Smiles from a stranger, a hug from a friend, my husband letting me choose what movie to watch…all these, no matter how simple or extravagant, I will always value. Years later, I realized my parents were my Santa, which strengthened my fathers’ teachings. My dad’s inspirational talk that day will forever remain in my heart.
To this day, the most meaningful moments of my life is when I GIVE assistance to those in need and INSPIRE positive change to those who lost hope and faith…
