Rushing into the season

As this week goes into the Christmas season, we are faced with many problems that we encounter on an annual basis. Number one that concerns me --traffic. Why? Because I have to go through hell of driving my manual sedan because I have no choice. I have to put up with irate drivers who don't even know basic street courtesy. There are those who just line up because they want to, and those who just pull over without signaling. They get on my nerves every time because here I am, trying to make my record clean with no violations but they make me want to break the rules.

The lines in the malls grow longer by the minute as shoppers want to get to Christmas sales. They are so engrossed that the prices are lower than usual, and that there are packages for everything that they buy. The only downside is, having to squabble in line to get to the cashier. I don't find this amusing, even a bit hassling on my part. That is why every December I try to shop ahead of everyone else to beat the lines. I don't mind if I have to pay more to have peace of mind and my own convenience.

With all the parties and errands that we have to run, we have forgotten to pause and think about the essence of Christmas. We were given the season to celebrate the love of Jesus, not stress about it. Our lives have been too fast-paced that the meaning of Christmas has been set aside. In the Roman Catholic belief, you know something is wrong when dawn massgoers dwindle. There is no more meaning to the daily waking up for the Mass and the remembering of Jesus’ goodness.

Now that I am 26 years old, I’m at a point in my life where I want to just skip the traditional gift giving and just spend time with the people who matter to me. Spend time as in give my 100% attention to them with no screens or gadgets. This is my way of saying I love them and I’m willing to give a portion of my already-busy life. I’ve reached a point where gifts became immaterial, where physical presence is better than online greetings.

I’m now engrossed in trying to be in the physical world and being present because that’s what we need today. We need to realize that today isn’t about how many friends will greet you online, or how many gifts you get. But it’s the time you spend with your loved ones. The Christmas story symbolizes a family that was after God's will, who took time and obeyed the angel's call. Now tell me, is that too hard to do in this day and age? I guess we should all drop down our phones for a minute and rethink our Christmas plans.