Simple is Beautiful

(reflection on Home Stay in Marikina)

This Christmas has been one of my best times in my Juniorate Program and one of the best Christmas in my life. One of its reasons is the Christmas Exposure in Marikina. This exposure made me learn more about Filipino, especially those of middle class. I learnt about how they spend their daily life during the Christmas and New Year’s break and about how simple but happy they are.

At first, I couldn’t feel the spirit of Christmas her in the Philippines. The secularity of Christmas and a lot of fun in the way people here celebrate Christmas have tarnished the spirit of Christmas on me. I was tired of many celebrations, funs and pleasures even far before the Christmas itself came.

The Christmas exposure, however, has turned my Christmas upside down. I stayed in a family with five members, all women. I felt like in my family, which are almost all women. They treated me very well also, as I am one of the members of the family. They also made me happy out of their happiness. When I went there I didn’t have that happiness. But, staying made me posses that happiness. On the first day, I spent one afternoon celebrating Christmas in the chapel. I was very happy playing and enjoying time with them. Before, I didn’t posses that happiness, that joy. Then, I realized that I liked the children very much. They have happiness and they shared to me. What a simple celebration but full of happiness!

One thing that me happy staying with the family is their simplicity. If they want, they can have a quite luxurious life. But, they only live their life simply. They also celebrate Christmas and New Years in simple way: not too much decoration, some foods, and drinks. It’s simple but enjoyable. And, I had a good time there.

Sometimes, I felt bored there. As I reflected on it, I realized that it was because during the Christmas and its preparation, I didn’t feel much the happiness and spirit of Christmas. I did have a lot of fun, but almost no joy. Since then, I began to distinguish fun and joy. I think what people here do for celebrating Christmas is more on fun. Joy and true happiness shall come from within. One thing that I couldn’t bear is that I missed my family, which was eventually a little bit filled by that stay in Marikina. Another thing is that I couldn’t bear the way people here celebrating Christmas. It was so noisy and almost identical with a lot of food, singing, dancing, and such. I don’t like them. But, I did like the one we had as community for Christmas, New Year and Kris Kringle. However, once more, this dislike was cured also by my stay in Marikina. My family celebrated the Christmas and New Year in a quite simple way. There was no noise and only few singing, dancing and drinking. I did appreciate this stay although its impression is not as deep as the one I had in Navotas.