ARE YOU NOW READY FOR CHRISTMAS?

This has been the question I would get for the past two weeks before today from my co- workers and friends. A much lighter though than, “What did you get for your wife” question. To which I would reply, “I guess so” and “Tsk, I’m still thinking about it and by the way thanks for reminding me,” respectively.

Depending on which side are you taking seriously, indeed, if you take the first question, it is quite tough. Are you now ready for Christmas? Honestly, it also depends on your perspective, and wallet.

Why wallet? Well, I am working in one of the biggest retailers in the US and I can see how pallets and pallets of goods are coming in every night “to celebrate Christmas”. An hour before I go home, I would scan the whole store and see how well “zoned” the shelves are “for Christmas.” Honestly, I have never been so commercially-hungry-immigrant than today.

The first question has never entered into my realm of seriousness until now. Am I now ready for Christmas? How could I ready myself? Well, we can’t escape the fact that celebrating Christmas today entails a lot of goods-scanning, comparing and credit card swiping. Estimatedly, $24 billions have been spent before Christmas day. In form and part, I am part of that. If you would ask me based on this criterion, I am not and will never be? Why, because there will be better goods to compare than what you have bought earlier. And there will be more to come.

Thanks to the counter-commercialism culture of the Church. Thanks too for letting her ask the same question, and putting the question in its right perspective. And right perspective would be “celebrating the true meaning of Christmas” that for sure you know what and how it means (no need to elaborate).

Now for the second question (that matters a lot before the family starts tearing off the Christmas gift wrappers), “what did you get for your wife?” Even up to the last minute, I didn’t get what she wanted. While we did scan the jewelry stores and letting her pick what she like, yet, up to the last minute, we didn’t get one. (Perhaps, the reason why she didn’t want to get one was, she knew that I am going to pay for it using credit card, and she knew that if I did that, she’ll indeed up paying it by herself.) Talk of “ginisa sa sariing mantika.” And talk of being clever and me blowing out my cover.

But I did manage to buy her one, not though from the top of her “all I want for Christmas” list. I got her a foot spa/massage machine. She can use that after the shopping spree syndrome wears off.

But honestly, I just realized that I can not be ready and will not be ready for Christmas. If will always be rather, THE CHRISTMAS WILL MAKE ME READY.