I can get used to this view. ❤️
Growing up poor, we never had our own house. Sa palengke lang kami nakatira, yung pwesto namin na pinagtitindahan, converted sa isang room sa bandang likod para may tulugan kaming 4 na magkakapatid with our ima.
And during Christmas Season, my very young heart would wish na sana ma experience namin yung mga napapanood lang namin sa TV. Yung busy ang mommy na nagpe-prepare ng masasarap na food, yung daddy nagra-wrap ng gifts, and the kids would wake up very early in the morning, looking so clean and neat on their jammies, excited to open their presents under a very tall christmas tree.
It was just a lovely scene I kept in my imagination for a very long time. Because the truth was, our situation back then was the opposite.
Our ima was busy managing everything. Paghahango ng prutas from Batangas at Divisoria. While we, four sisters, would keep the ball rolling sa tindahan.
Experts kami sa pangangalburo ng mangga. Kasama din kami sa pangangamada sa mga giant pakwan na binababa mula sa malaking truck. Isang maling hagis, kung hindi lugi, hindi ka makakahinga dahil tatama sa dibdib mo ang napakabigat na pakwan. Lol.
Pero ako ang pinaka-expert sa pagre-repack ng uling. Pinakamabilis. Undefeated ito. Hahaha! Champion din ako sa pagbakbak ng buko. I can easily tell if the coconut is good for fruit salad, or sabaw lang, or pa-niyog levels na. Note that I was in gradeschool then.
Hindi namin maramdaman ang pasko kagaya nung nasa imagination ko. Because, Christmas Season is the busiest pag nasa palengke ka. Ito yung panahon na madaming naghahanda talaga. Ito yung madami kaming kita. Pero madami ring pagod. Last palengke day is December 24th. Then resume na on the 26th. That went on for more and more years I can’t even count.
Fast forward today, life has been different.
A little less hard than it used to be. But you know what’s really exciting about these days? Bumawi naman si Lord. Sabi Niya, I can be Christmas-y the longer time I want.
Just last year, sometime in November, I was able buy my very own, first-ever, tall CHRISTMAS TREE. I was emotional when I lit it up. All my childhood memories came rushing through my head. Pero ang gaan sa puso. Ang saya-saya ng puso ko.
Now, the “Epic Christmas Scene” I had when I was a kid no longer lives in my head alone.
I RE-CREATED IT….JUST THE WAY I DREAMED ABOUT IT. ❤️
A very early Merry Christmas greeting from my family to yours! 🎄🎄🎄
#christmastree
#kwentongpasko
#paskongpinoy
This post originally appeared in Facebook Group Home Buddies as shared by Ms. Melanie. This inspiring story blew-up drawing-in over 96k likes and reactions and 6.2 comments from HB members as of publishing time.
Paskong Pinoy is grateful to Ms Melanie for allowing us to share her’s and her family’s heart-warming story on this site. We hope that this post sharing will reach more and more Filipinos and may what she and her family went through serve as an inspiration to all.
God bless to you and your family, Ms Melanie. Thank you for letting us share your story of hope. ❤
P.s. part of the comment left by Ms. Melanie on the HB post…
Ito nga po pala ang Ima namin. Pasensya na sa picture, mukhang inaantok na yata sa sobrang puyat e. Hahaha! Labyu, ma.
She lives in the US now with our panganay. Yung byahera nyo ng prutas na laging puyat at stressed, nakaluwag-luwag na. Amerika na ang address at hindi NEW PUBLIC MARKET SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA 😂
Yung ate Brenda namin na feeling e sugo upang ihaon kaming lahat sa lusak 😂 ay isa pong Nurse/OT sa US. Sunod si Ate Shawie Sharon na may-ari ng Printontees Byshey . (Pwede po kayong magpagawa ng mga jar labels sa kanya, murang-mura lang, use HOMEBUDDIES as discount code, Char!) Our bunso Elaine is a Food Caterer. She runs the page Lei’s Kitchen. Cooking love and happiness.
And I am a Licensed Real Estate Broker po. For your Real Estate needs – Pampanga Area, at your service, YES! 😂
Sa dinami-daming hirap na pinagdaanan namin noon, we can only look back with a sigh of thanks. And the lessons that were carved in our being, walang presyo yon. That is the best part!
Yung pagiging matyaga sa buhay.
Yung laging masayahin ang puso kahit puro problema na sa paligid.
Being generous even you don’t have much, because you know how it feels to have less.
Lumaban ng parehas at patas sa buhay.
Hindi REKLAMADOR. (Pag reklamador, WALANG FAVOR! 😊)
Maging MAPAGPASALAMAT.
Maging mabuti. Maging mabuti.
Always have a child-like heart. Kasi ang bata, mababa ang pride, madaling magpatawad. Madaling magsabi ng SORRY and THANK YOU. Madali ang mag-share. Mababaw ang kaligayahan. Sumasaya sa maliliit na surpresa ng buhay. At punong-puno ng pangarap at pag-asa ang puso. – lahat tayo ay mayroon nyan. Nakakalimutan lang natin minsan. 🙂
Thank you po ulit sa lahat ng heart-warming comments at private messages niyo.
Let’s keep inspiring and praying for one another. Yun na lang ang pwede nating gawin para sa isa’t isa sa gitna ng pandemiyang ito. ❤️