Now what?

December 25 has come and gone. Now what? I don't like to answer this question. But it always shows up on and after Christmas day. Christmas is definitely not over yet. I still have to attend two more Christmas parties before I call it officially over for me. But when that day comes, then what?

Should I look back at the year that is nearing its close? Should I make new resolutions like last year? I find myself unable to decide right now.

Roses in December

December is almost over and it's time to reflect on the year that is drawing to a close. It's time to remember the people who have made an impact on our lives this year. In a speech addressed to St. Andrew's University studentry in 1922, Sir James Matthew Barrie said, "God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December." He described them, our December roses, as the people who we "cared for most and who have seemed most worth caring for". We don't have to think about them only in December, but we tend to, it's after all the last month of the year, the perfect month to honor them, even if it's just to let them know that we think of them this Christmas, our roses in December.


And so we think of them or perhaps write to them.

Those who have lent us money, however big or however small, when nobody else would.

Those who have helped us with our work even if they didn't have to.

Those who accompanied us to see a movie; otherwise we'd be alone.

Those friends we met at the badminton courts.

Those who helped us polish our badminton game and other sports.

Those who helped us beat other teams in DOTA; those we traded tips with.

Those who helped us finish the very long Legend of Zelda game.

Those who joined us in our coffee breaks and talked to us.

Those who continue to guide us in our spiritual life.

Those who gave us cellphone loads when we ran out of them (unless you are on plan).

Those who sent us SMS messages, excluding SPAM of course, when nobody else would.

Those who took time to read our web logs more popularly known as blogs. All four of them.

Those who took time to leave comments in our blogs. All two of them.

Those who'd write a blog entry like this, to show their appreciation. :-)

All those who make our lives bearable.

We think of them and thank them. And we wish them a merry Christmas and a wonderful new year ahead of them. Every time we show our appreciation to them they grow, and blossom, our roses in December. Our world is ever more beautiful, our problems easier to solve, and our predicaments easier to get out of because of them. We can do worse by not having them in our lives.



Note:
Thank you to Mungkey for sharing the letterjames link that I used for the three images in this blog entry.

Mug got Christmas

My mug got the Christmas spirit and tries to spread it. :-) Happy Christmas to all my friends who frequent my blog, to those who don't, and to the strangers who got dragged here by the search engines. Merry Christmas to all of you and may we have a wonderful new year ahead of us!

Pasko Na! (Bukas Palad)

We celebrated our office Christmas party last Saturday (December 10) and I'm happy that I received what I've wished for in the exchanging of gifts. It's not exactly my main wish, but I know that the one who picked my name did what he can to find it. And I'm happy that the gift is one of the items I listed.

For the second year in a row we had what we call a wishlist corner where we place what we wish for this Christmas (of course we had to be reasonable, or else we won't be getting what we listed there). I listed three in my wishlist this year, just in case one of them is not available:

1. Patrick Doyle - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Soundtrack
2. Bukas Palad - Pasko Na!
3. Bukas Palad - God in Silence

Last year, I listed about six and the one who picked my name didn't really exert enough effort to find even just one. I know this for certain because I saw some of what I listed displayed in the store that is very accessible (I can even say popular store). So this year, I'm very happy to get something that I listed in my wishlist.

If you are my friend, and you're thinking of giving me a gift this Christmas (for whatever reason), item numbers one and three are still available. Hehe... Thanks in advance! :-)

And how about the one that I picked? I'm proud to report that I've got what he wished for even though he posted his wishlist at the very last moment, right before the end of the office day on the day before the party. And this even though I've already bought my gift the day before.

To enter her mind

I'm writing a poem right now and I'm struggling whether to enter the mind of my subject, or to remain an outsider staring and describing. I'm sure that if I stay outside, the poem will be longer. If I enter her mind and write about what she feels it will be shorter. I'm staring at what I've written and I realize that I've entered her mind. To rewrite and stay out of her head or not? That is the question. Weighing the relative merits of going either way is kind of hard. Hard to the mind, that is. And now I'm reaching for Winamp and play "Dragostea Din Tei". It's a signal that I want to stop thinking. Numa numa yey...